Ghost Hunt S2: File 1 - Tunnels
by Chidori-San
Summary: Your friendly neighborhood Ghost Hunt is back with an all new case to solve. When SPR is hired to investigate a small house with a dark secret underneath, they don't quite understand just what they are getting into. Between the owners son crushing on her and a malicious ghost wanting her dead, Mai only barely makes it out alive.
1. Tunnels: Meeting Yashito-san

**Hello, and thanks for reading my first ever story on here! I hope you enjoy, just putting the average disclaimer up here about how I don't own Ghost Hunt and stuff. I'll be going back and editing it soon, so don't expect it to be perfect!  
Happy Reading,**

**Chidori-san**

* * *

Sixteen year old Mai Taniyama groaned and stretched, ruffling up her short brown hair. Large brown eyes blinked curiously as she tried to gauge her surroundings.

Two cream colored couches sat across each other, decorated with small throw pillows. A large window let in murky yellow light from the setting sun, and several large book cases sat around the room. A reception desk sat near a door with the words Shibuya Psychic Research carved into the small glass pane. Wait a second, Shibuya Psychic Research? That would mean…

Mai jumped with a start, nearly falling out of her desk chair where she sat taking care of paper work. Oh no, I hope Naru didn't notice, she thought worriedly, gathering some papers she scattered with her sudden awakening.

Kazuya Shibuya, a.k.a Naru, a.k.a Oliver Davis was her seventeen year old boss. He was intelligent, cold and narcissistic, which was how he got the nickname, Naru the narcissist. He was originally from the UK, and had a twin named Eugene Davis, who had died a while ago. Eugene was the reason Naru found himself in Japan, searching for his dead twin's body. They had located it, and after a two month break Naru was back, and as snarky as ever. Mai supposed Naru had a reason to be narcissistic; he really was pretty with thick black hair and icy blue eyes.

Naru also had an older assistant named Lin Koujo. Lin is twenty-seven and from Hong Kong, and is a quiet, formidable man with piercing brown eyes and shaggy black hair. Mai had learned not to let his tough exterior fool her though; Lin really was a good guy underneath. Lin was usually the one Mai talked to about problems with school, and the two looked out for each other and Naru.

Also at the office was Osamu Yasuhara, a part time office worker. He is the jokester of the bunch, and usually gets himself and Mai into trouble, mostly with Naru. He was known for his quick wit and sparkling grey eyes, hidden under his glasses. He was less experienced than Mai when it came to paranormal things, but he was a fantastic researcher.

Those four made up the main SPR team, but there were more people involved. Naru would often call on these people if he needed an extra hand, or someone to exorcise a spirit.

The first and the one who helped out the most often was definitely Hosho Takigawa, a not-so Buddhist monk. His parents raised him in the temple, but he left when he realized he couldn't play CD's up there. He has shaggy brown hair that reached his shoulders and kind brown eyes, and was known for his loud graphic tee-shirts and piercings. He liked to play the father figure in Mai's life, and was affectionately called Bou-chan by Mai and Monk by the others.

Next was Ayako Matsuzaki, a shrine maiden. She was known for her, er, useless tactics. She tried to cleanse spirits, but unless she had live trees nearby to borrow power from, her methods usually failed. She was known for her loud mouth and bright red hair, and often played a mother figure to Mai alongside Monk.

They also had John Brown on the team, an Australian priest. He had short blonde hair and big blue eyes, easily making him the cutest member on the team alongside Mai. He had an innocent look about him, and rarely, if ever got mad.

Lastly was Masako Hara, Mai's mortal enemy and best friend. She was a famous medium from TV, and most of the members joked that she only got famous because she was so pretty. With short black hair and big violet eyes, it was hard for any guy to not fall for her. Unfortunately, the target of her affection, Naru, was also Mai's crush. The two fought over him often, but in the end they really were close.

All of these people made up SPR, a functioning group of paranormal researchers. They had tons of crazy times together, and Mai had a feeling those times wouldn't end any time soon. With a happy sigh, she rested her chin in her hands.

"Mai," Naru's cold voice cut through the silence. Mai jumped and slammed her palms onto her desk, ready to get up and work. Well, actually she had been startled and was ready to fight to the death, but Naru didn't have to know that.

"Yes boss?" Mai asked innocently. Naru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You know I saw that, right?" Mai's bright and cheerful smile faded. Oh crap, she was in trouble now.

"Saw what?" Naru frowned at her.

"I have a client coming in later, please prepare tea," he said shortly after a period of silence. Mai nodded.

"Hai, hai. Tea, coming right up," she exclaimed, jumping up to make some fresh, herbal tea. If there was anything she was good around here for, besides getting into trouble, it was making tea. Monk and Yasu often teased her about it.

With one last withering gaze, Naru disappeared into his office, slamming the door loudly. Mai winced before cracking open a can of tea leaves. He was certainly in a foul mood today. Mai quickly got to work making tea.

She was waiting for the water to boil when Lin emerged from his office, his pale face looking drawn and weary.

"Hey Lin, would you like some tea? Naru ordered me to make some, so I guess you should have some as well," Mai said cheerily. Lin snapped out of his somber mood once he saw her smiling face, but he kept his stoic face.

"Yes, thank you," he replied coolly. Mai nodded.

"Hai. You know, I don't get why you can say thanks and Naru can't," she murmured, half to herself. Lin had to resist the urge to chuckle.

"I'm not sure Mai-chan. Perhaps he doesn't appreciate your tea," he half-joked. Mai shot him a truly horrified expression, before it was replaced by a more good-natured one.

"Well, for someone who supposedly dislikes my tea he sure does ask for a lot," she joked. Lin nodded his agreement as Mai poured him a cup, passing him the steaming beverage.

"He's stressed, that's all. Don't take it personally," were his parting words.

"I don't plan to," Mai called after his retreating form as the door to Lin's office slammed shut. Mai sighed and took the kettle off the stove before sitting back down at her desk to do some studying. She had a major science exam coming up soon, and if she wanted to avoid Naru's snarky comments on her evident stupidity she'd better prove him wrong.

She was halfway through the chapter when the door burst open. Mai, who was glad for a break in her personal torture, jumped up to help. She had to quickly duck when a loud, boisterous woman in her forties entered the office, talking loudly and swinging her large pink purse around.

"Hello dear, where is your BOSS?" she screeched, clapping her hands together loudly. If she noticed Mai's disgruntled expression, she didn't say so.

"Did you HEAR me?! Where is your BOSS," the lady demanded again, gripping Mai's arm.

"I heard you," Mai snapped. The lady giggled like a girl and let go of Mai, who took a couple hesitant steps back.

"WONDERFUL, could you go fetch HIM?" she shouted, doing a 180 so she faced the door. Her purse flew out and directly connected with Mai's stomach. Mai let out a grunt as she was sent flying backwards several feet, crashing into the wall. Luckily, she was right next to Naru's door.

Presently Naru cracked his door open, and Mai was quick to move. She pushed him back in and slammed the door behind her, resting heavily on the door to prevent it opening. As she tried to catch her breath she realized she was gripping Naru's shirt and holding him in front of her. She blushed as she released her grip, much to Naru's amusement.

"Why, Mai, I had no idea," Naru said with a smirk, leaning even closer. Mai flushed scarlet before regaining her composure.

"Naru, now is not the time for games," she announced. Naru took in her dishevelled appearance before taking a hesitant step back.

"What's wrong?" he asked, trying to get to the door so he could see what was happening.

"I was attacked," Mai said dramatically. Naru narrowed his eyes at her, unsure if she was joking or not.

"Your clumsiness doesn't count," he said sarcastically.

"It was a crazy lady, with a giant purse," Mai continued. Naru fought the urge to laugh.

"Ladies aren't that dangerous." Mai grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him closer, so their faces were almost touching.

"She has a purse, Naru. She has a _purse,_" she hissed. Naru's eyes widened.

"You don't say," he retorted after getting himself under control. She didn't even realize what she was doing, did she?

"When used correctly, it can be a lethal weapon. And believe me, she used it correctly," Mai informed him. As if suddenly aware of their current position, Mai flushed a deep red. She once again let go of his now crinkled shirt and took another step back, so she was leaning against the door.

"Did she get you?" "Right in the stomach."

Naru frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking quickly.

"Okay, whatever happens, stay behind me, and get ready to run for Lin," he finally decided. Mai moved to stand behind him, so she was peering over his arm as he opened the door. They both peeked out of the crack before stepping the rest of the way into the office.

* * *

Naru sat on the couch, a thick folder on his lap, listening to the woman ramble on. Right now he wished he could be anywhere but here, and judging by the away his assistant stood nervously next to him, she felt the same.

"Now miss, are you ready to tell us about your case," Naru interrupted her stream of words. The woman stopped her long description of how adorable her dog was to eye him suspiciously. How she got on the subject of her dog was a mystery, but somehow she did it.

"Yes. My name is Mitzuki Yashito, but you can call me Mitzi," she said brightly, and Mai realized she had been in a hurry to get out she didn't even catch her name.

"Yashito-san," Naru said deliberately, much to Mitzuki's displeasure. "Can you tell me about the incidents occurring in your house?" Mai finally took a seat next to Naru, just glad that she had put her purse away.

"Well, we hear knocking noises often, especially when nobody is nearby, or is in another room. Objects move around, or go missing, and we hear people yelling in the storage room in the basement," she explained thoughtfully. Mai inhaled sharply, that seemed like a lot of activity.

She had a faint feeling that she was leaving something out, and she quickly leaned forwards before Naru could talk, much to his displeasure.

"Is there anything you haven't told us?" Mai asked her gently. Mitzuki frowned for a second before sighing and leaning forwards as well to address the two.

"We recently took down a wall in the storage room, and found the remnants of an old tunnel. We think it might have belonged to a coal mine, and that's where most of the activity occurs," she said somberly. Mai exchanged a look with Naru. That was exactly what she was looking for.

"Would you say the occurrences are malicious?" Naru asked with as soft a tone he could muster. Even so, it came out cold.

"They weren't before, but once we found the tunnel, it got worse. The other day my husband was dragged out of his bed while he slept, and I was pushed down the stairs," she said sadly.

"How did you find the tunnels? I mean, why did you do it? How did you know?" Mai asked suddenly. Yashito-san gave her an odd look.

"Well, now that I think about it, it sounds kind of odd. We actually heard scratching on the walls, and I would have dreams about being stuck in a long winding tunnel. We decided to renovate the house, in hopes it would go away. So, we chopped a hole in the one wall, and found some old tunnels. We haven't really been down them yet, we're too scared," Mitzuki admitted.

Mai felt a flush of excitement. She'd never gotten to explore real underground tunnels before, maybe Naru would let them.

"Have you heard of any deaths related to the house or tunnels?" Naru cut in.

"Actually, fifty years ago several young men went missing and were never found. Also.. er, uh. I think they're the ones haunting the place." Naru nodded briskly. Mai gave the woman an odd look, before shooting Naru a hopeful one.

"Very well, it sounds interesting. We'll take the case, but we'll need a room to set up base," he said softly. Normally they'd ask for three rooms, one for base, and two for lodgings, but since her house was nearby, an hours' drive, they'd just stay at home.

The woman's answering smile was a bright as the sun.


	2. Tunnels: Spirit Plane

**Investigation Day 1: 2:30 P.M**

Mai wrinkled her nose as she took in her surroundings. _What a creepy place, no wonder it's haunted._ She thought. The simple cottage in front of them showed signs of decay. The light blue siding was cracking and peeling and the roof sagged. It was obvious this house was old, and had been through a lot.

Carefully picking her way down the crumbling cement path after Naru and Lin, she cast one last furtive glance around at her surroundings. The trees around here were dead or dry. Mai had the feeling the powerful presence she was sensing had something to do with it.

Naru knocked loudly on the door and took a step back, nearly bumping into Mai, who hadn't been paying attention. The door was presently answered by a handsome young boy, who looked around seventeen or eighteen.

"Hello, you must be Shibuya Psychic Research, we were expecting you," he said cheerfully. Naru nodded once, and pushed past the boy and inside the house. Mai was the last one in, unaware of the boy's lingering gaze.

At least the inside was nicer than the outside, with a nice, open feel.

"This kind of looks American," Mai wondered aloud. She quickly ducked her head and blushed when Naru and Lin turned to look at her. The boy suddenly laughed.

"You're right; my dad was in America a while ago. He loved the house style there, so he brought it back here. That was the reason they were taking down walls and such. It's cool you caught that," he added with a smile. Mai smiled back at him.

"Where is Yashito-san?" Naru interrupted coolly. The boy shrugged.

"She said she'd be by later, I'd give her half an hour. Sorry for the inconvenience," he said apologetically.

"Oh no, don't worry about it. We should probably get set up then, right Naru," Mai reassured him. Naru grunted and stalked off to get things ready, Lin following close behind, leaving Mai and the boy alone in the entrance way.

"My name is Yashito Ryuko, but you can call me Ryuko," the boy broke the silence, offering her a genuine smile.

"My name is Taniyama Mai, it's nice to meet you," she responded. The two smiled at each other for several more seconds when Naru interrupted again, and Mai had to get to work.

* * *

Mai sighed and let her head droop, eventually falling onto the table with a bang. With a start, she sat back up, blinking lazily. She was currently at base, sitting down at the small table. Naru and Lin had gone for a walk, and forbidden her from leaving about an hour ago.

The only problem was, now she was very sleepy. She tried so hard to stay awake, but she couldn't. Ah well, if Naru ever saw her she could say she'd had a vision. Then she'd make something up. Finally, she cradled her head in her arms and fell fast asleep.

In her dream, she was in a long, winding tunnel. Lanterns sent muffled orange and yellow circles of light every ten feet, but the tunnel still felt dark and foreboding. The sound of soft footsteps on the cool earth echoed behind her, and she turned to see Gene, Naru's dead twin brother and her spirit guide.

"Gene, what's this?" Mai asked once he had caught up to her. Gene frowned and looked around.

"I'm not sure, you're not supposed to be here," he mumbled, sounding worried. Instinctively Mai grabbed his sleeve and pulled herself closer, a deep sense of panic arising in her.

"What's that supposed to mean? Gene, what's going on?" Mai asked as a shrill whine sounded in her ears. With a startled cry, she dropped to the floor, clutching her head. Gene knelt down next to her, pulling her close. This wasn't good, this was coming directly from the spirit, and it meant harm. He had to keep her safe.

"Mai, I need you to focus," Gene commanded. His only response was the trembling and whimpers from the terrified girl cradled in his arms. Mai tried to focus on anything but the loud noise, but it was sharp, and piercing, putting all rational thought on the back burner.

Finally Gene ran out of options. It was only getting worse, and it made him sick seeing her in so much pain. He whisked her off to the spirit world.

Mai finally pried her eyes open to find herself in a strange world. It was all black, a long, never ending inky blackness. She could feel the floor under her, but when she looked down it was an abyss of blackness. There were no walls, just an inky darkness that stretched out into forever. Normally she would feel scared, but the darkness was cozy. Although there were no lights, she could see Gene next to her. She blushed when she realized they were practically cuddling, her head resting against his chest and his arms around her.

"How are you feeling? Is it gone?" Gene asked nervously. Mai slowly disentangled herself, blinking lazily.

"I'm fine, I feel fine," she said calmly. Gene heaved a sigh of relief, resisting the urge to pull her to him again, this time in a hug of happiness. She seemed disoriented as she took in her surroundings, but soon relaxed.

"Gene, where am I?" she finally asked. Gene awkwardly rubbed the nape of his neck before answering.

"The spirit world," he admitted. Mai froze for a second, trying to comprehend what had happened.

"The spirit world? But that means-""Technically, you're dead right now."

* * *

Naru arrived back at base with Lin, and was startled to see Mai resting at the table, her head in her arms. Upon closer inspection he saw she was resting too peacefully.

"Lin," Naru commanded, and the man jumped into action. Both of them were slightly scared, she was so quiet and still. It didn't even look like she was breathing…

"Her body temp is down and I can't catch a heartbeat," Lin said gravely. Naru blinked, trying to put his words into information.

"No heart beat? How long," Naru demanded. Lin shrugged.

"We were out for ten minutes; she could've gone any time." Naru's brows furrowed. He didn't like how Lin said she was gone, she couldn't be dead. But as he looked into her still face, he noticed it was paler than usual.

"What's our best option?" Naru asked. Lin frowned.

He was about to suggest CPR when Mai twitched. It was so tiny Naru wouldn't have noticed it if he hadn't been staring at her intensely. Lin gasped and bent over next to her, gripping her wrist.

"Heartbeat, and she's warming up," he said, a surprised look on his face. Mai suddenly coughed, gasping for air. Naru was next to her in an instant, not even caring what Lin thought, rubbing her back slowly. She choked and struggled for air for several seconds before she regained composure.

"What the hell Gene?" she suddenly burst out, her head snapping up, anger evident in her eyes.

"Mai, what did Gene do to you?" Naru asked slowly, not sure if he wanted the answer.

"He killed me! The dumb idiot killed me!" Mai shouted. If he hadn't seen her totally unconscious, he would've thought she was lying.

"How is that possible?" Lin asked, finding some humor in this situation. Gene would do anything to spend time with Mai, since it meant coming out of his sleepy state. He was sure Gene was just waiting for Mai to pass so they could spend eternity together.

"I don't know, I was in some tunnel, and then I heard a loud noise. It really hurt, and then I can't remember what happened next. When I woke up I was in this eternal darkness with Gene, and then he said I was technically dead. Before I could physically harm him, he pushed me and I fell, and now I'm here," Mai said in one breath. Naru was trying to decide between frowning and laughing when suddenly Lin started laughing.

"That idiot," he chuckled. Mai was utterly floored, her jaw hanging open. Lin was laughing, and he just openly insulted Naru's twin. Naru shot him a wry smile.

"I'm just glad you're not actually dead. I'll need answers later though. Please make some tea Mai," Naru said calmly, standing up as Lin helped her to her feet. Mai nodded and darted off to make some tea, seemingly unaffected by her near death encounter.

* * *

Mai stood in the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil. She was all alone, and it was giving her the creeps. Naru had called in Ayako because of Mai's near-death experience earlier. If that happened again, having Ayako around was her best bet, as well as Monk. They were arriving later today.

"Hello Taniyama-san, I didn't expect you here," Ryuko said softly, entering the kitchen. Mai smiled politely at him.

"Oh, please call me Mai, it sounds nicer," Mai said. Ryuko nodded slowly before walking to stand by her, leaning against the counter.

"In that case, call me Ryuko," he answered with a grin. Mai giggled and nodded, happy to comply.

"So, tell me about the house, I'd like to know more," Mai said casually, trying to start up a conversation. Ryuko chuckled.

"Sure, anything you want. Where should I start?" he said pleasantly, his hazel eyes sparkling. For a second Mai got lost in their depths. If it was even possible, Ryuko was almost as handsome as Naru.

"Well, what about the tunnels? Those really intrigued me, since I don't really know anyone lucky enough to have tunnels under their house," she said after some thought. Ryuko's face grew somber.

"Mai, whatever you do, don't go in there alone, or at least not without me," he said gravely. Mai's cheerful look faltered.

"I promise, besides, I'm not stupid enough to do that. But, if you want, maybe you could take me down there some time? I would like to see them," she compromised. Ryuko smiled back at her.

"I'd love that. In fact, I could give you a tour of the whole house, and tell you the stories. We can go right now, if you'd like," he suggested. Mai beamed at him.

"That'd be great, here, let me just get some tea to my boss," she said brightly, taking the now whistling kettle off the stove. After measuring out the tea leaves and pouring a perfect cup of steaming tea, she headed off to the base with Ryuko in tow.

She quickly reached the base. As expected, Naru was waiting for his tea. With a heavy sigh, Mai set down the cup with a flourish, doing her usual habit of waiting for him to say thanks or something, but he was silent.

"Well, bye then," Mai finally said awkwardly after several seconds of silence. Naru shot her an irritated look and Mai returned it. They were brought out of their childish game when they heard someone chuckle. Mai turned and saw Ryuko standing in the doorway, a bemused expression on his face.

"Why are you here?" Naru asked bluntly. Ryuko stopped laughing and blushed, looking away.

"I asked him to show me around the house and give me some history on it so I can make a report for you,"' Mai said brightly before things got more awkward.

"You asked him yourself?" Naru asked, as if that question held the weight of the world. Mai frowned lightly for a second.

"Yeah, obviously," Mai said. Naru sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, a habit he did when he was annoyed or impatient.

"Be back quickly, and I want a detailed report," he finally consented. Mai bid Naru good bye and was heading out when Naru suddenly cut in.

"No tunnels." With a muttered insult Mai continued out to Ryuko, and informed him that she couldn't go into the tunnels. He just shrugged and smiled.

"Here, I know where to start. Follow me; I want to show you my dad's office. That's where you'll find most of the records and stories. I could spend hours in there," Ryuko exclaimed once they started out.

They presently arrived at a small door on the first floor. Ryuko cracked it open, took a peek, and then motioned her inside. Mai took a few moments to study her surroundings, and she had to admit, she was impressed. It was simply decorated office, with a large oak desk and big computer on it, as well as some book shelves, but the room held a mysterious air that drew Mai in.

"Would you say this room has a lot of activity?" Mai wondered aloud.

"Yeah, you can sense it?" Mai nodded mutely, her hand gently resting on her stomach. She felt a little sore now, like she had a light stomach-ache, but it was nothing she couldn't deal with.

"What rooms do you think have the most activity?" she asked as she and Ryuko walked over to examine a bookshelf. He quickly pulled out and presented a big, musty brown leather bind book, smiling satisfactorily.

"Read this, you'll find what I'm about to say confirmed in here. I would have to say that obviously the tunnels and storage room have the most activity. It's also the most dangerous. The attic is frequently haunted, as well as this office and my sister's room," he explained. Mai gingerly examined the book before meeting his tired gaze. He looked sad all of a sudden.

"You have a sister?" she asked. Ryuko sighed and looked away.

"She's… gone. It was an accident in the house, it's what finally pushed my mother to call you guys," he said sadly. Mai frowned lightly, her brow furrowing as she thought of words to say to console him.

"I'm really sorry; you don't have to say any more." Ryuko managed a small smile before his tense features relaxed. She really did look genuinely sad for him.

"Don't worry about it, things happen, y'know." Mai nodded, relating to her own accidents. Although she didn't want to press Ryuko, she had some more questions.

"You say the tunnels get the most activity, how do you know? Have you actually been in them?" Ryuko shot her a sheepish look, one Mai knew very well. It's what Bou-san did when he was about to get into trouble.

"I took some friends through the tunnels one night when it first opened up," he admitted. Mai smirked. He was quite the rebel.

"Have you been all the way through?" Mai wondered. Ryuko nodded.

"Yeah, we spent the whole night in there. It comes out on the side of a mountain, so I estimate it to be seven miles, at least. It's pretty big. But there's one more thing," Mai perked up. "When you're outside at the entrance of the mine, there's no activity. You don't even sense anything; it's like a peaceful spot in the middle of a storm. It sounds dumb, but I swear it's true, the real stuff only happens once you cross into the mine," he blurted, blushing slightly.

"I believe you. That sounds very interesting. I'll inform Naru about the mountain, maybe we can put some cameras around the mouth of the tunnels and in the actual tunnel, although if the activity is as bad as you say it is, I can't guarantee we won't have spiritual interference," Mai mused. Ryuko's arched his eye brow.

"Naru, eh? Who is that?" Mai suddenly flushed bright red.

"It's a nick name I gave my boss. I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him I said that," she said sheepishly. Ryuko nodded, smiling slyly. He was so going to call him that.

"What does it mean?" Mai blushed even more.

"Naru the narcissist." There was a tense silence before Ryuko burst into laughter, his hazel eyes sparkling with laughter induced tears. Eventually Mai joined in. Once they had settled down, they decided the best option was for Mai to return to base and for Ryuko to check in with his mother. With one last good bye, they parted for the day.

* * *

"Mai, I don't pay you to fraternize with clients. What were you doing?" was Naru's chilly greeting when she walked in. Mai scowled at him, he hadn't even missed her. No, _Hello Mai, did you have any luck? _He sure was grumpy, wasn't he?

"I told you, I was given a tour. Well, actually we didn't really go very far because of you, but I think I know where we should put the cameras," she said, tucking the heavy book she had carried around into her bag. Naru's frown deepened.

"Why don't you tell me, wise one?" Mai's shocked eyes met his cool ones. It was unlike him to openly insult her.

"I thought I was supposed to call you that." Naru stared at her until she finally spoke up.

"The office on the second floor, the girls room down the hall from us, the storage room, the face of the mine and a couple in the tunnels, oh yeah and the attic," Mai listed off. Naru scowled at her, how did she know where all this stuff was? Where did she get off telling him what to do?

"I'll consider it," he said curtly. Mai frowned at him, baffled at this sudden turn of events.

"Well, okay. I was thinking of doing a quick temp reading around the house. I think I know where ghosts are present, and I want to double check," Mai continued as Naru returned to his paperwork at his desk. When he didn't answer, Mai pressed on.

"Also, I think it would be smart to keep our clients nearby, or send them out of the house. Judging from the stories, I think they could be at risk if we keep them here during the investigation," she concluded, shifting awkwardly. Naru didn't even look up.

"I'll be the judge of that. Mai, go out and do temperature readings. Lin and I will do cameras," he commanded.

"I thought I helped with cameras? Eh, well, I hope you keep my suggestions in mind. I'm sure if you ask Masako where she feels the most spiritual energy she'll say the same rooms," Mai said slowly, as if unsure of herself. Naru's scowl deepened.

"I don't think you should count on that, you have been wrong before." Mai finally had enough. With a softly muttered insult she grabbed the equipment and stormed out. She did not feel like sticking around Naru and his foul mood any longer.

* * *

Mai stood in front of the door, debating whether or not she should go in or not. She felt like she was trespassing onto something personal, but still, she did have work to do. After a few tense moments she shouldered her way into the little girl's room.

Everything was as Ryuko described, but it wasn't like she expected anything different. She had half-way cross the room when she felt a chill. Going against her instincts, she hesitantly turned around and came face to face… with the cutest girl she had ever seen.

She had bright red curls that extended down to her waist and big hazel eyes and looked to be five or six. Mai could immediately place Ryuko's eyes and Yashito-sans curls, so she assumed this was the dead sister. It felt weird, yet oddly satisfying to know she was seeing a ghost right now.

"Hello, my name is Kaname, what's your name?" the girl asked slowly, as if unsure if Mai would even answer her. Mai smiled and crouched down so she was eye level with the girl.

"That's a pretty name Kaname, my name is Mai Taniyama, but please call me Mai," she replied gently. Kaname's lifeless eyes lit up, and her pale skin seemed rosier.

"You can hear me?" Mai nodded her kind smile never moving. Kaname floated slightly before bouncing back down.

"I need your help, you're all in danger. You have to destroy Tan-," she began. She was cut off by a sharp wind. With a painful howl, Kaname vanished, leaving Mai alone in the chilly room. She didn't stick around to see what would happen. In one swift move she was out in the hall, and heading back to base.

* * *

_Mai found herself in a familiar black world. _

_ "Gene, not this again," she whined, running over to him. He gave her a quirky half-smile. _

_ "I didn't, I couldn't hurt you like that. I took extra precautions, but you are going to be drained when you wake up," he said smilingly. Mai heaved a sigh of relief and sat down, her legs folded under her._

_ "Mai, are you alright?" Gene asked worriedly. Mai glanced up at him with bright eyes._

_ "I'm fine. I suppose you have something to tell me though," she said cheerfully. Gene found himself blushing slightly, which shocked Mai. _So that's what it looks like when Naru blushes_, Mai thought to herself._

_ "There's something I need to tell you, but it's not case related." Mai perked up, all ears. This'll be good._

_ "When you first came here, I realized you could safely traverse the spirit world. Although you do fall into a coma, and if prolonged you could remain here permanently, it is possible for you to be here safely. I wanted to try it again, so I summoned you here," he explained. Mai frowned slightly, thinking about this information._

_ "I thought I fell unconscious? What does that mean? I know I can go here, so does that mean I can help spirits on this plane?" Mai asked. Gene nodded a warm smile on his face. His idiot scientist of a brother didn't give her enough credit as to how incredibly smart she was._

_ "That's great, maybe I'm not so useless after all," Mai exclaimed happily. Gene finally sat down next to her, trying to get comfortable._

_ "You never were useless, Mai," he said honestly. Mai shot him a genuine smile, a smile that could make any boys heart stop momentarily. Gene was no exception, although his heart technically wasn't beating any more._

_ As he really studied her, he noticed something. It was a small, flickering flame inside of her, a dull red. It would take sharp eyes to catch it, even on the spirit plane. In the real world nobody would notice it, not even Mai herself. It made Gene stop and think._

_ "You know what I just realized," Mai interrupted his scattered thoughts. Gene looked up to catch her sparkling eyes. She was obviously excited about something._

_ "Every time I'm here, you snap out of your sleepy state, and get to talk to me, right? What if I could talk to you at will," she said. Gene felt a wide smile cross his features, and Mai returned it._

_ "That could be dangerous, but I can see it being possible."_

_ "Anytime you're feeling lonely, you can just summon me here, or any time I'm confused or worried, I can come here at will. Awesome!" Almost against his will his arms shot out and pulled Mai into a happy hug. Maybe he wasn't alone after all._

_ Suddenly the blackness started to fade, and Mai pulled out of the hug quickly, alarm evident on her features. _

_ "Am I going to have a vision?" she asked worriedly. Gene didn't even need to answer. He heaved a sigh, it was inevitable. This girl was a ghost magnet, what with her latent sensitivity. He gently gripped her wrist and tugged her into the room that had formed in the middle of the darkness._

_ Two forms started to emerge, and it was evident it was a pair of lovers._

_ "Why aren't I acting it out? Why am I just watching?" Mai wondered aloud. Gene was as confused as she was. Things weren't going normally for her, her dreams weren't the same. The two watched in hushed silence at the edge of the room._

_ "Saeko, do you love me?" the young man whispered intensely into his partner's ear. She nodded vigorously, a pained look on her features, as if offended he would consider anything else._

_ "Do you truly love me?" he repeated, gently caressing her cheek. She nodded, more insistent this time. He sighed and looked away, sorrow lining his eyes._

_ "Tanaka, don't fret, please don't fret," she whispered, gently cupping his face and pulling it back to face hers. Mai felt intense emotions here; they were making her feel dizzy._

_ "Who is Yeu, then? Why do I hear his name and feel intense sorrow and anger," he said vehemently. Saeko gasped and backed up a bit, a panicked look on her gentle features._

_ "Do not mention his name, please. It makes me sick," she said in a trembling voice. Regret crossed Tanaka's face as he pulled his lover back into a tight embrace. Mai felt anger as she saw the smirk on Saeko's face. She was having an affair! Before Mai could say anything it all faded into darkness even blacker than her surroundings._


	3. Tunnels: Dreams

**Investigation: Still Day One – 7:30 P.M**

Mai woke to find she was staring into intense blue eyes. _You know, Naru, not every girl appreciates your good looks when they're twisted into a murderous glare,_ Mai thought angrily, squirming under his gaze. When he saw she was fine and moving, he relaxed slightly, and moved back an inch so Ayako could get a better look at her.

"You gave me a scare, you were practically comatose when I found you," Ayako exclaimed, a worried look on her face. Mai sighed and tried to sit up, dizziness overwhelming her. She was worried for a second, as this didn't happen often, but then she remembered Gene's words. _You'll feel drained when you wake up._

Oh, the perks of being an astral projector. She was surprised she hadn't suffered any side effects, since her body basically shut down whenever she went travelling, but she had to sum it up to Gene. He was probably trying to make up for nearly killing her earlier in his haste to get her away from the terrible vision.

Speaking of which, she'd had a dream, but it wasn't a usual one. Normally she'd act the dream out, but this time she was watching as it happened. The only other time that happened was when they were investigating the strange doll and she saw Tomiko's kidnapping and her mother's death.

"What happened anyways? You don't normally pass out like that, you just dropped and you were down for the count," Monk interrupted, pushing aside Ayako so his concerned brown eyes could peer down at Mai. A loud slap was heard, and Monk was tossed from her vision, narrowly avoiding a collision with Naru, who was growing annoyed. Ayako reappeared, clutching a purse with an angry look on her face.

"Would you at least let me make sure she's okay," she scolded Monk.

"It wasn't like you were doing anything," Monk called from the floor. Mai should probably try sitting up now, she wasn't getting anything done just laying on her back. She tried and failed to sit up again, resigning herself to lying on her back, motionless on the couch. _How long until I can move again? Probably a while, I was there for some time._

"Just stay still, I need to check you for injuries," Ayako warned her, her motherly instincts kicking in. She gingerly moved Mai's bangs and winced at the large black bruise on her temple from where she collided with an end table on the way down. Other than some scrapes on her knees, she was good to go, and Ayako told her that.

"You might want to take it easy though, you'll probably feel dizzy for a while," she assured her. Mai frowned slightly at her remark.

"I want to help though," she protested. Naru was already angry at her; if she lay there like a log while he worked he'd probably be irate by the end of the shift. Ayako clucked and patted her head, being careful to avoid the bruise.

"Sorry honey, but you probably aren't going anywhere for a bit." Mai sighed and shot a hesitant look at Naru, who was watching with an indifferent expression on her face. She hated to disappoint him, but Ayako was probably right. She couldn't get much done if she was fainting everywhere.

"Hey Mai, did you have one of your dreams again?" Monk suddenly asked, pushing Naru away and replacing Naru's spot in Mai's field of vision. If Naru was upset by the bold move, he never said anything. Truth was, he was thinking about something.

"Yea, actually I did." Mai decided right then and there that she'd tell them the dream, and only the dream. The part with Gene was hers to know, Naru might find out but not for a while. Besides, she had some experimenting to do. If she really could talk to Gene at will, it would make things much easier.

"That explains your fainting spell. I'll have to ask you to try and find more convenient locations next time though," Ayako scolded her. Mai managed a weak chuckle, still gaining her strength.

"I'll try. The only thing was, this dream was kind of different," she said hesitantly. Ayako's eye brows shot up.

"How so?" Mai struggled to find the right way to describe it.

"Well, in this one instead of acting it out, I was watching from the side. It felt very unusual," she confessed. Ayako shot her a wry smile.

"If only you could do that for the more violent dreams," she said, a kind look on her features. Mai nodded and smiled back. As much as she hated to admit it, those dreams affected her greatly. It was her own pride that kept her from collapsing into a sobbing mess whenever those memories arose in her mind.

"I'm working on it," she reassured her. Monk gently patted her hair.

"While that's great, you still didn't tell us what you saw," Monk reminded her.

"Oh, yeah right. Well, it was a really basic dream, but there were two lovers, and they were hugging each other. One of them, Tanaka asked Saeko if she really loved him. She said she did, and when he mentioned another guy, Yeu, she got all panicky and defensive, saying she never wanted to hear his name again. Tanaka went to hug her again, and I saw her smirking," Mai's blood heated up at the last part. It was stupid, but she really hated unfaithful people. Trust was an important thing, and without it, all things would crumble.

"She was two timing him? Maybe his ghost could be the one still here," Ayako said thoughtfully.

"That doesn't explain the little girl though," Mai blurted before she could stop herself.

"Little girl? Mai, there's no little girl here," Monk asked her suspiciously.

"There was a little girl in your dream too?" Ayako butted in. Mai blushed as she felt Naru and Lin's stares on her as well.

"Yes. No. Ah, wait, I'm not sure," she stammered. Ayako shot her a disapproving look before turning to face Naru, tugging a hand through her long auburn hair.

"Naru, did you catch anything on the cameras so far?" she asked. Mai could hear Naru shake his head more than she could see it out of her periphery.

"Ayako?" Ayako grunted, signalling she'd heard.

"Can I sit up now?" In a second Ayako was back at the couch, her arm around Mai's back as she helped her sit up. The dizziness was still there, but after a moment it went away and she found she could see again. She gasped when she saw Kaname in the corner of the room, looking at her with a worried expression. Her pale lips moved soundlessly before she vanished.

"Mai, are you alright? Do you see something?" Monk asked, noticing his friend's startled expression. She vehemently shook her head, trying to hide the fact that she was communicating with a spirit. Something told her Naru would just get Masako on the ghosts case, and for some reason she felt the ghost was specifically asking her for help. She blinked rapidly as more stars shot across her vision, but she was fine again.

"I just remembered something. I have a book of all the records, I found it in the office, maybe I could research the people in my dream," Mai mused. Monk shot her a strange look.

"You stole a book from the office?" Mai quickly blushed.

"Eh, no, not exactly, Ryuko kind of… gave it to me," she admitted. Naru's jaw clenched and unclenched, so subtle Mai barely noticed it.

"Naru, what's wrong?" Mai asked. Naru shot her an icy glare before turning away, completely ignoring her. She felt red creep into her cheeks, embarrassed and a little angry at being ignored like that. Even Ayako and Monk were watching him with unreadable expressions.

"Maybe I should call Yasu to look them up as well, he'd find more than me anyways," Mai suggested after a tense silence. Ayako nodded.

"That's a good idea, but you'll have to do it when you get home. I think you need some rest," she said firmly, daring Mai to contradict her. Mai frowned at her.

"I thought we were leaving later though," she said stubbornly. Ayako clucked and shook her head.

"Sorry, tomorrow you can get back to work. You're still pale, and you're shaking a bit. I think it's in your best interest to get some sleep. Naru?" Naru nodded briskly, seeming like he really didn't care what happened to Mai. She sighed heavily, seeing she wouldn't win.

"Tonight you'll stay at my place, just in case. Something tells me I'll need to keep a close eye on you," Ayako continued. Mai glanced up at her, a small smile on her face. She didn't spend the night often at Ayako's but whenever she did it was a great time. She acted like a mother to Mai, and the two girls, sometimes with Masako, would stay up late giggling over anything and everything.

"Okay, well good night everyone. Sorry Naru, but I think it's for the best," Ayako said apologetically, helping a stumbling Mai off the couch. He didn't even look at them as they exchanged good byes before Ayako whisked Mai out of the base and outside.

With a heavy heart, Mai jumped into Ayako's car. Bou-san would have to hitch a ride, but something told Mai he wouldn't mind, as long as she was okay. The drive to Ayako's place was full of sadness and doubt. Naru was really mad at her, and she didn't know why.

* * *

_Mai entered the spirit plane as easily as if she'd been doing it her whole life. As expected, Gene was waiting for her, a small smile on his face. He looked forwards to this time together._

_ "Mai, there you are. I'm glad you're okay," he said honestly as Mai ran over to him, panting slightly from the long distance she had to cover. _

_ "Am I in a coma right now?" she asked nervously. If she was, Ayako would take her right off the case, whether Naru gave her permission or not._

_ "No, luckily you're just asleep. Come, I want to show you more of the dream," he said, gently grabbing her wrist and tugging her along behind him. The blackness around them faded and Mai found herself watching a garden. It looked unfamiliar, and try as she might, she couldn't place the location._

_ A young woman in a delicate floral kimono leaned against a large, gnarled tree, gently combing her long satiny black hair. As she turned to face Mai and Gene, Mai saw it was Saeko. Mai scowled at seeing the traitorous young woman, but the anger was replaced by sadness when she saw the intense sorrow in her eyes._

_ "Gene, why is she so sad?" Mai asked, although she knew she'd probably get the answer in a minute. Gene sighed and pulled Mai closer to him, much to her surprise. His arm was slung lazily around her waist, yet had a firm grip so she couldn't go anywhere. She blushed when she realized it actually felt… good._

_ Just then a man entered the garden, a scowl on his pretty features. Mai frowned as she watched him stride over menacingly to Saeko and grip her arm roughly, pulling her closer to him._

_ "Yeu, why are you here? I thought I asked you to-"she was cut off by a passionate kiss. Mai scowled fiercely._

_ "She is having an affair. That's so not cool," Mai said angrily. Gene nodded his agreement. It was he and Noll's greatest hatred. There was once a time when they believed their aunt, whom they were close to, was having an affair. It nearly destroyed the boys, all their scheming and angry emotions. It turned out their beliefs were false, but they both swore that two-timers were no good._

_ "Marry me, please. I only wish to be with you," Yeu said quietly. Saeko's eyes lit up, and she smiled happily._

_ "I will, I promise to love you forever, Yeu."_

_ Mai felt air whip by her as the memories changed, blurring slightly. When Mai could see clearly, she saw Tanaka and Saeko in a bedroom together._

_ "My dearest Saeko, will you please marry me? I only want to be with you forever," Tanaka said, a heartfelt look on his features. Mai smirked._

_ "She's totally going to break his heart," she predicted. To her surprise, Saeko nodded happily, planting a sound kiss on Tanaka's lips. The two stood gazing up at each other happily for a long time before the memories faded away and Mai was with Gene in the darkness._

_ "What? How is that possible, to marry two guys at once?" Gene shrugged again. He couldn't see very far into the memories without Mai there, and he was about as confused as she was._

_ "It's all very confusing, but there's one more thing." Mai frowned up at him as the blackness shifted. Mai found herself acting out the story, and was semi-relieved to be back into her normal limbo._

_ "Tanaka, we must hurry," Saeko/Mai begged Gene/Tanaka, whom she was dragging along the musty tunnels._

_ "Saeko, where are we going?" Tanaka asked, slightly amused. It was unlike her to surprise people._

_"Tanaka, do you really love me?" An indignant look crossed Tanaka's features._

_"Of course," he replied, pulling her to a stop and cradling her against his chest. A look of sheer bliss passed through her eyes before her gaze turned fearful. Tanaka's eye brows scrunched together when he saw her frightened expression._

_"Promise me you'll never leave me," she murmured into his shirt. He nodded, gently running a hand through her tousled hair._

_"Never. I love you, and because I love you I will never leave. I will always be here to watch over you, even in death," he admitted honestly. Saeko smiled up at him before she turned and started running again, tugging him along behind her. He looked startled for a moment, but complied with his fiance's antics. _

_ Suddenly Saeko stopped and gasped when she saw Yeu. She let out a strangled screamed when she saw the knife in his hands._

_ "Lights out, love," he whispered. Saeko sobbed as he plunged the knife into Tanaka's heart, before turning to her with a sick grin._

_ "It's a shame, it's really been quite fun," he murmured, giving her a hug. As his arms went around her, he plunged the knife into the frightened woman's back. The last thing Mai saw as Saeko died was Yeu's thoughtful expression before it all went black._


	4. Tunnels: Tones

**Investigation: Day 2 – 3:56 A.M**

Mai woke up, teeth clenched and sweating profusely. Her grip on the sheets tightened as she fought the urge to scream. During the dream she could feel the knife hit her, and now her back throbbed painfully. On closer inspection there was a small nick where the knife hit her spiritual self, but it was nothing she couldn't deal with.

"Mai, are you alright? Did you have a dream?" Ayako's sleepy voice rang out through the dark air. Mai whimpered quietly before she mustered enough strength to talk.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me," she knew her voice was strained, but Ayako was too tired to notice. With a muffled grunt, Ayako rolled over and fell back asleep, leaving a scared and confused Mai all alone in the dark room to nurse her wounds.

* * *

"Good morning Mai, Matsuzaki-san. You look pleasant, are you alright?" Ryuko greeted the duo as they arrived at his house. Mai nodded mutely, her brown eyes sagging. She hadn't dared fall back asleep after the dream. Truth be told, she wasn't up to seeing more, so she just stayed awake, rocking back and forth in a ball on Ayako's bed. The woman merely chalked it up to the previous day's events, and gave her some aspirin and a good breakfast, and they were off.

_ "_I'm fine," Mai muttered softly before they were ushered inside. Ryuko followed them to base, keeping a worried eye on Mai. She looked like death swept over, and he felt bad. He wanted to help her, but he wasn't sure how.

"I was doing some looking last night. I know my father documented the stories that have been told about the house, but I could never find the book. I located it though, and I thought you'd want it," Ryuko finally said as they neared the base. Mai shot him a grateful look as he nervously passed her another book, the same brown leather as the other one.

"Thanks, this'll help a lot," she said wearily, cradling it in her arms. They entered the base, with Ryuko lingering at the door to bid her a good bye before being chased off by Naru's killer glare. Mai was too exhausted to notice.

"Mai, as always the beautiful princess," Monk joked, lightly ruffling her hair. She didn't even try to slap his hand away, so he knew something was wrong.

"Are you alright?" he asked again, his tone low and soft. Everyone turned to look at her, and they all saw the same thing. Her brown eyes were dull, with purple bags under them. Her hair was wispy and her clothes were slightly wrinkled. Naru's intense look softened upon seeing her dishevelled appearance.

"I'm fine, I just had a rough night," she assured him, her voice cracking slightly. Monk gave her a disapproving look, knowing full well she was hiding something.

"Did you have a dream?" Suddenly Ayako gasped and gave her a sad look.

"No wonder you were struggling last night, I was so tired I didn't even pay attention, I'm so sorry," Ayako apologized. Mai dismissed her with a flip of her hand.

"It's fine, I'm alright," she said calmly. She didn't want to rile anybody up; she was already on shaky terms from her lack of work yesterday. If she didn't do something today, she ran a risk of being taken off the case.

"Would you like to tell us?" Ayako asked kindly, in an attempt to regain some ground on her motherly status. She felt guilty for not being there for the girl, her dreams were painful for everybody involved, especially the girl herself. Mai shot her an irritated look, and Ayako knew she wouldn't get anything else out of the girl for a while.

"Very well, would you like some tea?" she offered. Mai gave her a wan smile.

"That's my job, you know." Ayako smiled fondly at her, proud of how brave she was being. If it were Masako, well, she'd be clinging to Naru like there was no tomorrow. Mai was independent that was for sure.

"Fine, at least let me help you." Mai nodded reluctantly, not wanting to burden Ayako. Naru spotted the book tucked in her arm, and arched his eye brow.

"What do you have there Mai?" he asked suddenly. Mai frowned at him for a second before she realized what he meant.

"Oh, Yashito-san recorded all the stories associated with this place," she said, holding the book out for him. Naru greedily snatched it up and began flipping through it.

"This is interesting, how did you get this?" Ayako suddenly snorted, remembering Ryuko's love struck expression as he gave her the book. Mai was just too tired to notice.

"Ryuko gave it to her, isn't that sweet?" she said with a sugary voice. Mai blinked lazily at her, not quite understanding the reference just yet. She shot Monk an angry look when he prodded her arm.

"You have an admirer already? You are quite the seductress," he teased her, his brown eyes twinkling.

"Eh?" she wasn't especially bright in the morning. Monk and Ayako exchanged secret looks, not noticing Naru's sudden change in behaviour.

"You'll have to thank him for me," he said icily. Mai frowned at him.

"You can thank him yourself," she snapped. Naru gave her an exasperated look, which Mai returned. Already he was crabby, she'd have to hurry and get his tea before he got worse.

"Come on Ayako, let's make some tea," Mai declared, dragging the startled miko behind her as she left.

* * *

"Ayako," Mai said quietly as she boiled the water. Ayako was grabbing some ingredients from the cupboards after instructions from Yashito-san. She stopped her search to look at Mai, leaning against the counter as she waited for her to finish.

"Why does Naru hate me?" Ayako nearly choked on air. That question was unexpected, and totally wrong.

"He doesn't hate you, I don't know why you'd think that," she reassured her, a small smile flickering on her face. Mai sighed and took the kettle off the stove once it started whistling.

"Didn't you see him today? If he wasn't already cold enough, he suddenly got really mean," she said sadly. Ayako laughed outright, too amused to notice Mai's angry look. This was a serious question, why was she laughing?

"Maybe Naru's jealous," Ayako finally suggested. Mai scowled at her, now was not the time for jokes.

"Of what? His mirror, since it gets to look at him?" Mai snapped. Ayako's gaze softened when she saw her upset expression.

"Maybe he's jealous of you and Ryuko," she said. Mai cracked a humorless smile.

"Why would he be, there's nothing going on," she replied dully. The idea of Naru being jealous because Mai was with somebody was amusing. Naru didn't care about anybody, the only time he'd be jealous was if Masako decided he wasn't good enough for her. Everyone knew they were a couple, or at least he favored Masako.

"Are you sure? Ryuko's being awfully friendly, and you aren't exactly shooting him down." Mai fell silent, considering that statement.

"Still, why wouldn't he at least ask one of us? Why jump to conclusions, that's so unlike Naru," Mai finally said. Ayako's lips quirked slightly.

"I don't know about that. Every time you're around Naru does things that he usually doesn't do, like save your sorry butt or, heaven forbid, be kind," Ayako reasoned. Mai blushed and gazed up at her with hopeful eyes.

"You think?" she asked. Ayako's smirk widened.

"I know so. Now come on, let's get him some tea. Next time he mentions Ryuko, make sure you let him know there's nothing going on, his personality will change, I assure you," she said confidently, gathering the cups and balancing them on a tray.

The two started for the door, Mai ahead of Ayako, who had offered to carry the drinks for fear Mai's drowsiness would cause all their work to end up on the floor. Mai tugged on the door and froze, a worried look crossing her face.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go," Ayako prodded, unable to see past the tray. There was the sound of the door rattling, and then silence.

"Ayako," Mai's barely audible voice sounded. Ayako let out an irritated grunt as the tray wobbled. Mai made it look so easy, but when Ayako was holding it the slightest movement threatened to send the cups over the edge.

"What is it Mai?" Ayako snapped.

"The door won't open."

Ayako carefully set the tray down on the nearby table, just now noticing the sudden drop in temperature. The room was freezing, and everything had a slightly blue tint to it. Mai was still facing the door, the same worried look etched on her face.

"Mai, come here," the miko commanded, her first priority keeping Mai safe. She didn't know if Mai could take much more right now. Mai obediently moved to stand by the tense woman, eyes scanning the room.

"Ayako," she whispered again. Ayako grunted again.

"There are no cameras in here." The reality set in. If anything happened, nobody would be able to come to their rescue.

"Well, we'll just have to scream really loud," Ayako said grimly. As they opened their mouth to scream, a cupboard banged open. Mai let out a cry of pain as she tried to avoid a flying cup that darted by her head and landed on the hard ground, hissing in pain. Ayako gasped and backed into a counter, frozen in place as the cup shattered and sent shards raining down on Mai's prone body.

As the first piece cut her skin, Mai fully woke up, her senses on hyper-drive. She scrambled to her feet, and started racing around the kitchen with Ayako, dodging the flying dishes. A large plate sailed into the miko, temporarily knocking her off balance. A well-aimed spoon knocked her over, and she landed on the floor, grunting loudly.

Mai moved to shield her from an oncoming knife that was sailing at her. Mai gritted her teeth as it grazed her leg, leaving an angry red line.

"We have to break the door down," Mai shouted over the clatter as things started rattling. Ayako nodded mutely and got up, the two standing defensively, staring at the door across the room. Even the small table was rattling, the chairs lifting off the ground. This was full blown spiritual activity; there wasn't a shadow of a doubt in Mai's mind.

"How do we do it?" Ayako cried desperately as the two moved away when a rogue ceramic mug shot past them, breaking on the wall behind them. Mai moaned as a piece bounced off the back of her head, nicking her skull. Ayako was no better off as at least five pieces cut her arms.

"Use a chair," Mai suggested.

"How do we grab it?" Mai's mouth dropped open. She hadn't even considered the fact that they would be able to touch the chair, much less control it. They were dancing around the table as if they had a mind of their own. The girls watched in mute horror as several bowls lined up in the air in front of them, quivering dangerously.

A short tug on Mai's sleeve made her look down and into the wide eyes of Kaname.

"Use your shield," Kaname instructed, her hazel eyes sparkling with tears. She didn't want Mai to get hurt; she was her only way out.

"My shield? What shield?" Mai asked loudly as the last cupboard banged open and the dishes tumbled to the floor, rattling loudly. Kaname gave her an irritated look.

"Shield yourself," she warned her before vanishing. Mai blinked at the empty spot stupidly for a second. Ayako was busy preparing an attack, now that her wits were coming back. Before she could say anything, all the bowls raced at them so fast they were a white moving blur.

With a terrified howl, both girls hit the ground, arms wrapped around their heads as the dishes sailed over head. The shards rained down, but to Mai's surprise she didn't feel a single one. As she glanced up she saw a faint red glimmer in the air in front of her, and as she looked over at Ayako she saw the same. She unsteadily stood up, Ayako watching her fearfully.

"I'm going to break it down," she announced. Ayako quickly stood up as well, the red glow vanishing once they were both standing.

"I'll help. Run on the count of three." Ayako readied herself, as did Mai.

"One."

"Two."

"Three."

Once Ayako said three, the two raced at the door. They collided, and there was splintering wood and screeching metal as the hinges were ripped out. The door broke and gave way, tossing the girls unceremoniously onto the floor.

As Mai peered up past the black haze threatening to cloud her vision she caught Ryuko's horrified look.

* * *

Naru was at his lap top, stewing over a few things. One, a few cameras had suddenly malfunctioned, and he had sent Lin and Takigawa-san to go help, although he suspected Takigawa-san wouldn't do much. Two, as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't happy with the way Ryuko was following Mai like a lost puppy, and she wasn't pushing him away.

In fact, she kind of relished his attention. The thought caused Naru to unconsciously clench his fists. He was brought out of his angry thoughts when a sharp rap sounded on the door before the door was flung open. Ayako limped in, following by a worried Ryuko who was half-holding a weary Mai. Naru was about to get mad when he saw the blood trickling off the girls bodies.

"What happened?" he demanded harshly, running over to Matsuzaki-san. He was tempted to run to Mai, _but she had Ryuko_, he thought bitterly. Ryuko gently lowered her onto the couch next to Ayako, and frowned at their battered appearances.

Ayako had blood seeping from a gash on her forehead, and her shirt and pants were torn in several places, and she looked pale. But it was Mai who had taken the brunt of it, probably in some stupid attempt to keep Ayako safe while she prepared a counter-measure.

A long, deep gash sliced across her thigh where the knife cut her, and she had a similar cut on her temple. Her clothes were torn and her hair was stained with blood from a cut on the back of her head. She looked utterly exhausted, and as she sat her head drooped.

"We were attacked," Ayako informed Naru, almost apologetically. It was, after all, her fault that Mai was even injured. She was supposed to keep the girl safe, but in the end Mai was the one who ended up shielding them. She'd have to ask her how she learned that, it was an impressive shield but it probably drained her.

"In the kitchen, right? It threw cutlery and dishes at you, didn't it," Ryuko said grimly, his lips pressed in a thin line as he gingerly touched Mai's cut. She winced, but didn't shy away from his gentle fingers. Naru would probably be annoyed, but right now he was worried about both of them. Mai looked like she was fading fast, and Matsuzaki-san didn't look any better.

"Yeah, we broke down the door after we couldn't get out, sorry," Mai said weakly. Ryuko laughed, trying to put her at ease.

"No worries, we've replaced everything in that kitchen at least twice by now," he assured her. Mai managed a small smile before she was seized in a fit of pain. Her whole body ached with a dull pain, accentuated by sharp throbs where she was cut by the flying dishes and cutlery.

She also felt strangely tired, like she couldn't even lift her head, and that scared her. She had never felt this way before; it was like her energy was drained.

"Naru, take care of Mai, she put up a shield," Ayako said firmly, trying to stand up. Naru shot her a surprised look. Shields took a lot of power, and could be very damaging to people, especially if they weren't well prepared.

"Are you sure it was her that did the shield?" he asked. Ayako nodded her head.

"It was definitely her, I could see it. She did one for herself, as well as me, and as much as I hate to admit it, it was a damn good shield." Ayako hated being usurped by someone, especially a young one at that, but she did have to admit to herself that Mai's talent was impressive.

"Very well, Yashito-san, please help Matsuzaki-san, I'll try to clean Mai up. Matsuzaki-san, once you're done, please check Mai over. There's only so much I can do," Naru admitted. Ayako nodded and got up, limping painfully over to her medical kit with Ryuko close behind, who was casting furtive glances over his shoulder. Mai was losing it, her eyes were starting to close and darken.

Naru did the only thing he could think of. He cupped her face in his palms, and was surprised by how cold and soft her skin felt.

"Mai, focus on me please, and try to stay awake," he commanded, a hint of worry in his voice. He didn't realize how badly injured she was until he got up close. Her brown eyes flickered over to his blue ones and stayed there a moment before starting to close. Naru leaned in closer, willing her to meet his gaze. Once she could concentrate, he could work on fixing her up. If she really had cast a shield, her powers were probably still rampant, and one wrong move could provoke her, and the release of the remaining energy could result in heart failure.

Finally, her gaze met his, and held it. Once she was breathing normally he released his grasp on her face and leaned back a bit, realizing how close they had been. He had to remain professional though, and he watched her nervously, eyeing her half-dead expression. Where was Gene through all this? Why hadn't he protected her like he usually did?

He got to work gently cleaning the gash on her forehead with a damp cloth, applying antiseptic. He felt bad when she flinched under his touch, but he continued, trying to get it as clean as possible. Luckily it was a small cut, head wounds just bleed a lot, and it was sterile in no time. He then gently rotated her head, not even bothering to ask to her to it herself. Her eyes widened as his touch, but then dropped again, gazing off into nothingness.

He cleaned the cut on the back of her head, and grimaced at how much blood stained the cloth. Meanwhile Matsuzaki-san was done. She had a lot of cuts, but they were mostly minor. She'd be in pain, but it'd be gone in a day or two. She allowed Naru to finished inspecting the wound on Mai's head before handing her over to Ayako's watchful eyes.

"Her head is fine, I'll just apply antiseptic twice a day and bandage it, and it should heal in a few days. Same goes for the rest of her cuts and bruises, clean them up and let them heal. But her leg," she grimaced when she saw the large blood stain on her leg.

"It's deep, really deep. She'd going to need stitches." Naru frowned and Ryuko gasped. Ayako was busy in her turmoil though. She had gotten the injury meant for Ayako, which meant it was Ayako's responsibility to patch her up.

"Feel free to leave, it's not going to be pretty," Ayako said softly, gauging the boy's reactions. They both nodded, but she noticed Ryuko was pale. She sighed and nodded once as Monk and Lin entered the base. When they saw Mai, who was stretched out on the couch, blood pooling by her leg, they started over to her.

"Stay back. Naru, do me a favor and hold her hand, she's going to need something to hold on to, and you're the closest," Ayako said calmly, pulling out supplies. Naru didn't show it but he was secretly happy to hold her hand. He gently took it, and winced when he felt how cold it was. She was losing a lot of blood.

"Monk, hold her leg down, can you do that? She absolutely must not move, no matter how much pain she's in," Ayako commanded. Monk, who usually didn't take orders unless it was Naru, obediently knelt down next to the couch. The two men exchanged worried looks as Ayako jabbed a needle into Mai's leg and Mai jumped.

Her grip on Naru's hand tightened, and then released slightly. Ayako waited patiently, much to everyone's displeasure.

"What are you doing, she's bleeding everywhere," Ryuko said adamantly. Ayako silenced him with a frosty stare.

"I'm trying to make this as easy as I can. Things hurt enough as is, if I were to start messing around without anesthetic she'll be a tough one to hold down," she explained, softening her tone. Finally she turned back to Mai, her lips set in a thin line.

She motioned for Monk to hold her down even more as she started working. Naru felt her tighten her grip on his hand as Ayako started stitching her up, small whimpers coming from her throat. Ryuko looked away sadly, as did Lin. Naru watched her face tighten and scrunch up with rapt attention. She really was brave. She could probably feel everything, it was just slightly dulled, and she wasn't even moving.

"Okay, now I'm going to sterilize it. This is the worst part, and no anesthetic will make the pain go away, so get ready," Ayako warned. She slowly poured some antiseptic onto the wound, and Mai jerked violently. She struggled slightly when the hold on her didn't let up as more burning fire erupted in her leg. She was holding Naru's hand so tight, she was afraid she would break it, but she didn't want to let go. After ten seconds that seemed to last hours, Ayako was done.

"Keep an eye on her, let her rest. And for God's sake Naru, don't make her get you some more tea," Ayako said wearily. Mai lay on the couch, still biting her lip. Although it wasn't as bad, it still throbbed. Ayako quickly bandaged her up while Naru nodded impatiently.

"I'm going to need a full report on what happened though," he said coolly. He was slightly embarrassed that he'd just been holding Mai's hand in front of everyone for a good five minutes while she was worked on, but he didn't want anyone to know. Lin and Monk stood up, staring cautiously down at Mai. The pain had jolted her awake, and she was looking around with bright eyes as Ayako sat next to her, taking up all the remaining space.

"I'll go first, and let Mai gain her strength," Ayako volunteered, shooting her a sympathetic look. Mai didn't object.

Ayako quickly filled them in on the events, Lin and Monk's eyes widening when she mentioned the shield. Monk clasped Mai's hand in his own.

"Poor Jou-chan, tired from saving our incompetent Miko," he said sadly. Ayako had enough strength to hit him over the head, and he went reeling.

"I honestly don't remember putting up a shield. I just saw those dishes coming at us really fast and hitting the ground, and when I looked up things looked kind of distorted," Mai admitted. Ayako frowned, she was being so modest.

"What color was it?" Naru asked calmly.

"Red." This time Monk gasped loudly, gaining everyone's attention.

"That's impossible Jou-chan, are you sure you didn't see green or purple?" Mai nodded firmly, and Ayako backed her up.

"It was definitely red, a really bright red too. Why?" Monk frowned curiously at her for a second.

"Red, blue and white are the colors for great power. Greens, purples and yellow signal a lesser power, while grey or black signal either spiritual interference, evil or barely any power." Mai stared up at him with big eyes.

"Maybe you were right, maybe a spirit helped me. It was most likely Gene," she said calmly, uncomfortable under everyone's gaze. Naru was staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"Impossible, Gene and I have a blue tone," Naru said shortly. Ryuko suddenly piped up, looking lost.

"What does red mean, besides great power? What can people with a red tone do?" he asked nervously. Monk sighed heavily, as if offended by his stupid questions before turning to answer him.

"People with a red tone, are often more explosive, and their powers fluctuate. Unfortunately when used to full advantage, they can be fatal. Like, if Mai were to get really angry, and try to use her powers, the chance that she could kill or destroy someone, human or spirit, in the process is high. Blue tones on the other hand, are calmer, and more easily controlled, but, I hate to say this, aren't as powerful when used to full advantage." Naru nodded curtly. He knew that, he and Gene had trained under a person with a powerful red tone, and they had seen him crumble a wall using only his mind, with no side effects.

"That's so weird, no offense Mai. Do we all have these tones inside us?" Ryuko asked. Monk nodded, but it was Ayako that spoke.

"Yes, it's believed our spirit guides are our tones. Mine is a green color, since I work with the earth, while Monk's is a Yellow," Ayako explained. Monk shot her an odd look.

"How did you know what my tone is?"

"I'm not an idiot," Ayako said flippantly. Ryuko looked dumbstruck as he tried to process all this. Mai was used to such babble, but the fact that she perhaps possessed some great power inside her was a little unnerving.

"Wait, if our spirit guides make our tones, wouldn't mine be blue?" Mai piped up. Naru frowned slightly.

"Yes, that's what I was wondering. The only explanation is that you power taps into something entirely different, or Gene isn't actually your spirit guide." Mai scowled at the thought. Gene was definitely her spirit guide, without a doubt. _Or was he?_ Mai's frown deepened. She had only seen Gene after she met Naru, so maybe he wasn't her spirit guide? Maybe he was using her as a vessel to contact Naru. The thought made her sad. She thought maybe Gene stuck around to be with her, but now that she thought about it, the likelihood of that happening was low.

"It's a lot to take in Mai, so why don't you rest. If you don't mind Naru, I might do the same,' Ayako said quietly as Mai thought. She was thinking so hard she looked troubled, and Ayako didn't like seeing that look on her face.

"Good idea, get some rest. I'm going to call in Hara-san and Brown-san. We may need more just yet," Naru said tiredly. Mai nodded, and blinked her eyes closed as everyone moved off to do their jobs. Ayako ended up on a futon on the floor behind the couch, and soon both girls were fast asleep.


	5. Author's Note: One

**Hi everyone!**

**Thanks for the awesome reviews so far, I'll try my best to make sure this story meets your standards. I just wanted to clear a few things up before the story proceeds.**

**1. You probably won't see a weak Mai in any of my stories unless I really want it. I seriously think that if you give Mai the chance, she could be really kick-ass, and I wanted to play that up a lot more.**

**2. No, this isn't a GenexMaixNaru triangle. I'm throwing in Gene and Mai moments for the fun of it, but for obvious reasons they won't end up together. I think the moments will slack off considerably after I reveal something major, but for now I'm just tossing some ideas around.**

**3. Not going to lie, things are going to seem really confusing for a bit. I am clearing that up in the end, so don't worry. **

**4. If you have any suggestions or want me to add something in my story, please let me know. I totally love getting new ideas, sometimes they really help the story process.**

**5. I have no specific updating date, I update when I finish a chapter and am fairly satisfied with it. Sometimes I'll upload four chapters a day, sometimes I'll only update once a week. It all depends. When I'm done I'm going back over it a few times. In reality, the story probably won't be fully done and completed until a month or so from now when I've edited everything and it's all in place.**

**Okay, just thought I'd clear that stuff up for now. The next updates will be up fairly soon, I'm just going over chapters five and six. HAPPY READING EVERYONE, and keep reviewing!**


	6. Tunnels: Some Answers

**Investigation: Still Day 2 – 12:32 A.M**

_Mai emerged in the spirit world again. _

_ "Why do I always end up here?" she wondered aloud, searching for Gene. She gasped as two pale hands covered her eyes, and quickly started laughing when she realized it was just Gene trying to scare her._

_ "This is a place all souls go when they die. I guess once yours saw the place, it naturally runs here when you're in a trance," Gene explained, giving her sight back. Mai smiled over her shoulder at him, glad to see him. When she was talking to him she could convince herself that he was here because he wanted to be here with her, to help her and guide her, not because he wanted to use her to get to Naru._

_ "You're a tough cookie, aren't you now," Gene said with a chuckle. Mai frowned for a second, and then laughed when she realized what he was talking about._

_ "Yeah, that was pretty scary. Say, Gene, I have something to ask," she said thoughtfully. Gene knelt down, and motioned for her to do the same. The two sat comfortably together in silence while Mai struggled to form a decent question._

_ "That spirit, it wasn't Yeu, was it? It didn't feel like him, but if it wasn't him then who was it?" Mai asked. Gene smiled and tapped her head._

_ "You already know the answer." Mai scowled at him for a second, before smiling back at him. She felt so comfortable and happy here._

_ "I'll have to think about it. I never did call Yasu to tell him to research for me, did I?" Mai mused aloud. _

_ "No." Mai smiled over at Gene, who was watching her with a serious expression on his face. Her smile wavered slightly as she tried to realize what was behind those dark blue eyes._

_ "Hey Gene, Noll told me I have a red tone. I was explained a bit, but I want to hear more," Mai blurted, wanting to interrupt his pained stare. Gene slowly shook his head and collected his thoughts, but then turned to her with a shocked look._

_ "You have a red tone? Are you sure Mai?" Mai frowned at him and nodded. Gene watched her warily for a second. _

_ "Mai, that's very dangerous, you could end up like Noll after using your powers," he warned._

_ "I think I did," Mai grimaced, gesturing around her. Gene's frown deepened, and his eyes held some strange emotion. It looked like intense worry, and made Mai think. _Does he actually care about me?_ Mai thought with a start. _

_ "We'll have to train that. Of course, why didn't I see it before!" he cried, slapping his palm to his forehead. Mai jumped at the sound, but quickly composed herself. _

_ "Reds are very good with spirit's, they are a warmer tone which means they're very understanding and compassionate, as well as fiery and quick. Which, you definitely are. You have latent ESP, and clairvoyance as well as astral projecting. While those talents aren't particularly rare, your talents were quite sharp and crisp, which meant you either held enough power to complete the tasks easily, or you'd practiced often. I'm guessing you don't practice unless you have to, since it can be stressful, so you obviously have some power," Gene explained in a rush. Mai's eyes widened as she listened to him._

_ "Not only that, red tones grow and develop with the person. As you grow and mature, so do your powers, which explain why your powers have suddenly increased. Soon, you can create an effective shield, and control matter around you, much like Noll. The only difference is, Noll's purifies, while yours outright destroys." Mai frowned._

_ "I thought people with a red tone were more receptive to people and spirits, why would they destroy them?" Mai questioned. Gene smiled softly at her, waiting for her to catch up._

_ "It's all in the intent. If you set out to purify, then you will quite easily. But reds are fiery, and passionate. When provoked their powers grow and expand outwards, eating up others and collecting more. It's easy to lose track and send out an extra burst," he said quietly. Mai sighed and looked away. This was a lot to take in. _

_ "I don't want to be a menace, though. And now Naru probably dislikes me even more because these powers are probably a burden to him," she said sadly. She was startled by Gene's laugh._

_ "Nah, Noll's an idiot. You two… well; you'll have to figure it out on your own. It's time to go back now," he said quietly. Mai blushed when he suddenly took her hand and squeezed it, saying a gentle good bye. With a wave and soft smile, she was gone, leaving him alone in the darkness._

* * *

"Good afternoon Mai, I hear you've had quite an adventure," Masako's soft voice sounded from above her. Mai shot up quickly, narrowly missing the secretively smiling Masako, who had moved quick enough to avoid a head butt.

"Masako, hello, what are you doing here? Oh, wait stupid question. It's so great to see you, I've missed you," Mai exclaimed happily. Masako giggled behind her kimono sleeve.

"I saw you last week," she reminded her softly. Mai blushed slightly, but it was soon replaced by a worried look.

"Masako, can you sense any spirits? Are you okay?" Masako's eyes widened slightly. Although she wasn't supposed to like Mai since Mai had her love, Naru, wrapped around her finger, it was times like this that made her regret her anger towards her. She really did care about Masako, and she probably had no idea that Naru practically listened to her every command. After all, she was the only one in the whole group gutsy enough to argue with Naru.

"I am quite fine, don't worry. I'm guessing the spirit is powerful, so I look forward to meeting it," Masako reassured her. Mai sighed with relief and stood up, stretching her arms. Masako straightened up as well, turning to look at Naru who was watching Mai out of the corner of his eye as Mai stumbled slightly, her leg throbbing.

Masako knew that he was worried about Mai, but didn't know how to show it, and it made her mad and slightly sad.

"Oh, hello Naru, I hope I wasn't out for too long," Mai said cheerily, spotting him. He quickly turned his attention back to his book, putting on an indifferent air.

"No. I would ask you to get me some tea, but I suppose you don't want to go," Naru said coolly. Mai arched her eye brow, unaware he had spent the last two hours worrying about her and was slightly upset he had allowed himself to care.

"I never said that," Mai interjected. Naru finally glanced up at her, surprise flickering across his beautiful features. Masako wished he would look at her like that, with some kind of emotion. Anything was better than nothing.

"I'd prefer Hara-san get my tea," he finally said shortly. Mai wasn't sure if he was insulting her or showing some concern, and she wavered between the two while Naru addressed Masako.

"Hara-san, will you get some tea," he asked semi-politely. Mai definitely knew he was insulting her; he was never polite to her. He just ordered her around with a snarky, _Mai,_ tea. She frowned at him as Masako blushed and nodded before sweeping out.

"Are you sure that's safe? Ayako and I barely made it out, and we had protection. She'll probably get possessed and hurt, and it'll be your fault," Mai said coldly, watching Masako go. Although it didn't seem like it, she was actually worried, but she was also mad at Naru. She'd just gone through something stressful, and he was being cold to her. Didn't he even care about anyone besides himself and Lin?

"If you're really concerned, go after her. You can't blame me, since you had doubts and still let her get harmed," Naru reasoned. Mai grunted and took the chair next to him, scanning the monitors for an update on her friends. She usually looked here to see what they were doing in the house, and it never disappointed her.

"Hey Naru, is this camera in… the tunnel? And is this one in the girl's room?" Mai asked slowly. Naru made a noncommittal noise, expecting her reaction.

"Wow, you actually listened to me! Thanks Naru, you're the best," Mai exclaimed happily. Naru actually trusted her opinion, and followed it. The feeling that swelled up in her made her think she could practically float. Naru actually trusted her.

"If you're done celebrating, I can tell you that Hara-san confirmed your theory and helped me set the cameras up." Mai shrugged, not all that bothered that Masako had push him to do it. At least he had listened and considered it. That was a start.

"Did you set one up in the kitchen," Mai mused. Naru shot her an annoyed look, that practically shouted, _of course, you idiot._ Mai smiled sweetly back at him, and he looked away after a few moments.

"Is Ayako up already?" Mai asked. The futon was behind the couch, and she couldn't see it. Besides, she didn't want to bother the woman after everything she'd done if she was sleeping, so she'd just ask Naru.

"No, Matsuzaki-san is still sleeping."

"Ayako is still sleeping." Naru shot her another annoyed look. She certainly knew how to test his patience, but she didn't know that he secretly didn't mind it. Her mindless chatter was sometimes amusing to him.

"Yes, I just said that."

"I know." Naru looked away again, focusing on the book. Mai recognized it as the documented stories book.

"Find anything interesting?" Mai wondered, scooting her chair closer to Naru's. If he noticed he didn't say anything, so Mai just stayed where she was, peering at the book in his lap.

"I'm not entirely sure where to start, so I'm just reading it through," he admitted. Mai felt slightly pleased that he was being honest with her. That didn't happen often.

"Naru, could you look for a story with the names Saeko and Yeu in it?" Mai asked. She didn't understand the whole part about Saeko marrying two men.

"Here it is, it's one of the first stories," he said quietly. She moved even closer so she could see the small print, her shoulder grazing Naru's. She was so wrapped up in the story she didn't even notice, but Naru did, and he waited with a smirk for her reaction. She scanned the first page and turned to Naru, going bright red when she saw his face only centimeters from her own. _Why does this keep happening to me?!_ She thought sadly. _First in the office, and now this, why do I do this to myself?_

She scooted her chair back up an inch, but was still close enough to talk to Naru quietly. She could hear Ayako stirring in her sleep, mumbling something. Mai had to slap a hand to her mouth when she heard Ayako mutter something about Monk looking cuter when he slept. Naru eyed the couch with an amused sparkle in his eye.

"I'm afraid if I read it, I'll take up too much of your time. Could you summarize it for me please?" Mai asked sweetly. Truth be told, she was too lazy to read it, but Naru could probably tell that. With a heavy sigh he turned his chair so it faced hers.

"The story tells of two lovers, Saeko and Tanaka, who spent most of their days together when they were children." _Saeko and Tanaka are definitely the same people in this story, _Mai thought as she listened to Naru's melodic voice as he read it back to her.

"When Tanaka turned eighteen, he was forced to work in the mines. The two never saw each other as much as they'd like at that point. During that time, a young man named Yeu spied Saeko and fell madly in love with her. Unfortunately for Tanaka, Saeko also felt a strong connection with Yeu. The two would often spend days together while Tanaka was down in the mines."

"Tanaka was eventually given a break from the mines, and he returned home to his beloved. Unfortunately, when he got to her, he heard rumors that she was in love with another man. When asked the truth, she insisted that she loved Tanaka. Yeu, who was listening, became enraged." _Ah, so I wasn't a bystander, I must have been Yeu, watching them reunite, _Mai thought, some of her questions now answered.

"He plotted to kill both lovers. But the story cuts off here. I'm looking to see if he actually carried through with it, or if fate intervened for the hapless couple."

"Did you find anything?" Mai asked uncertainly, unsure if she wanted to hear. Naru eyed her warily. Maybe now she'd tell him her dream.

"I saw their deaths. It was in the tunnels, and I think they haunt them," she said honestly. Naru tugged on a section of his black hair, in deep thought.

"Did you feel it? You know; their pain?" What an unexpected question. Truth was, Naru wanted to know if she could see and feel things he wasn't able to do with psychometry.

"Yeah." Naru's jaw clenched and unclenched, an unreadable expression in his eyes. Mai was unapologetic though, she was used to it. It was part of her talents, being able to feel pain and emotions as well as seeing the story.

"I'm fine though, don't worry about it. If I couldn't handle it, I'd probably never sleep, and that's not good," Mai reassured him. Naru turned back to her, releasing his grip on his hair. Honestly, it was starting to seem painful. She watched him with a small smile on her face.

"That's- good." Naru said hesitantly. Mai's smile widened a little in an attempt to show him she really was okay.

"What about the rest of the story," she prompted. Naru suddenly had an idea. Maybe Mai could accurately predict the story herself.

"Do you remember the rest of the dream? Try and say it back to me, maybe you already know the story yourself," he said quietly. Mai blinked stupidly for a second before a thoughtful look crossed her features.

"Well, if I remember correctly, when the memories slowed down and I could see again, Saeko and Tanaka were running down a tunnel. She was really scared, and I guess she was running away from Yeu," Mai started slowly. Naru quickly paged through the book, looking for a story that started like that. He was a little surprised to find it at the end of the book, and started reading along with her.

"Tanaka was really confused, and they stopped. Saeko asked if he really loved her, and he said he did. He promised he'd watch over her forever, in life or in death, and she silently agreed to do the same."

"Silently agreed to do the same, eh, did you read his thoughts?" Naru cut in. Mai nodded, embarrassed.

"I can read the spirits thoughts when I'm dreaming about them," she admitted. Naru frowned; she hadn't bothered to tell him that before. Sure she'd done it once, but he supposed it was a rare occurrence.

"Continue," he prompted. So far every detail was accurate, and she was even supplying little details as she went. He was realizing what a handy little talent this was. She was like a fraud stopper, haunted tours would never be the same with her since she could accurately list deaths and accidents, and shoot down any fraudulent stories.

"Oh, right. Well, they stopped, and then they kept going again. They were almost into the storage room in the basement when Yeu stepped out holding a knife. He killed Tanaka first, and then stabbed Saeko in the back. I also saw something. Saeko was having an affair on Tanaka with Yeu, and she said she loved both men and promised to marry them. Does it mention the marriage anywhere? Who did she choose?" Mai finished the story, and Naru was impressed.

The book had gotten parts of the story wrong. It had said that Saeko died in front of Tanaka, as a punishment for falling in love with his girl, before Yeu killed Tanaka, and it said Saeko was stabbed through the heart.

"Yes, you're correct. Parts of the book are actually wrong. As for your question, it doesn't mention her actually marrying them. She possibly died before the got the chance," Naru said; a hint of pride in his voice. Mai beamed happily; glad she could be of some help since they started this lousy case.

"Can I tell you something," Mai said suddenly. Before Naru could respond, Mai was right beside his head, whispering softly in his ear.

"I don't think Yeu's the one haunting the place," she murmured. She didn't want to tell anyone else for fear they'd laugh at her. Well, Naru probably would too, but that was something she could handle.

"Isn't this cozy," Ayako's voice suddenly rang out. Mai pulled her head back enough so both she and Naru could both glare at Ayako.

"Says the woman talking about Monk in her sleep," Mai retorted. Ayako paled slightly before she regained her composure.

"I was not," was her brilliant reply. Mai and Naru exchanged secret looks which made her feel even more embarrassed.

"Does this sound familiar? _Oi Monk, you look much cuter when sleeping,_" Mai said in her best imitation of Ayako's voice. Ayako's face fell. She had not said that out loud, there was no way.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not practically kissing my boss," Ayako retorted desperately. Mai blushed slightly but Naru didn't seem affected by her sharp remark.

"If you're feeling fine, I'd like you and Mai to check the temperature in the rooms again, we haven't done that yet today. Also, if you encounter a spirit, please exorcise it. The spirit here is strong enough as is," Naru said wearily. Ayako and Mai nodded determinedly. Mai stood up and followed Ayako out the door. Mai paused in the door and turned back to Naru with an intense look.

"Naru," she asked quietly. Naru glanced up at her, a little taken aback by her fierce gaze.

"Whatever you do, you have to promise me you'll never let Masako in the tunnels. Send me instead, not her," she said pleadingly. Naru nodded once.

"Hai." With that, Mai disappeared into the hall.

* * *

Masako Hara and John Brown stood in the kitchen, surveying the damage.

"Well I'll be darned, the ghost put up quite a fight," John chuckled, ruffling up his blonde hair. He turned to Masako, his blue eyes sparkling. Masako's breath caught momentarily before she composed herself. _No, you like Naru. _She reminded herself.

"I have to agree. Although the spirit is not present, it left quite a residue," Masako agreed quietly, pressing her kimono sleeve to her mouth. In Japan, a proper lady covered her mouth when she laughed or spoke. Mai and Ayako weren't proper ladies; that was for sure.

"I suppose I should exorcise, just in case," John said with a shrug. Masako agreed. She could feel a faint presence, and she wanted it gone although it didn't seem malicious.

Halfway across the house, Mai was walking with Ayako. They had finished taking the temperature in the sitting room, and Mai found it satisfactory. No spirits present there, much to Ayako's relief. Although she didn't want to admit defeat, especially to that damn narcissist, she didn't want to do an exorcism after her last one failed. Although it was rushed, it was still an exorcism, and it didn't work.

_Mai, help me! _A small voice cried out in Mai's head. She suddenly screamed and clutched her head, trying to fight the loud ringing and pressure on her head. It was Kaname, and something was happening.

_Where are you? _Mai tried to project her thoughts as best she could past the blinding pain.

_Hurry._ Mai had a vision of the kitchen. Luckily the pain relented, so she could go rescue Kaname. She sprinted across the house, not caring if anyone saw her. She burst into the kitchen to see John doing an exorcism, and Masako watching quietly.

"Stop," she screamed. John, momentarily distracted, stopped praying and spraying holy water. Kaname slipped out of the room, breezing past Mai.

"Y-You, why Masako, why?" Mai shouted angrily, remembering Kaname's pain. She was only six for crying out loud! Masako gave her a wounded expression, unsure why Mai was acting crazy.

"Mai, are you possessed?" John asked uncertainly.

"Idiot, if she were possessed she wouldn't be able to answer you," Ayako's annoyed voice sounded behind her. The pressure on her head was subsiding, and she was left breathing heavily in the doorway, her hands balled into fists.

"Sorry. Mai, are you feeling well?" John asked, moving towards her.

"How could you, she was just a kid," Mai burst out. Kaname had sounded so scared, and she was in so much pain. It was all Mai could remember at the moment, and she knew Masako was to blame. She sensed the presence, yet she still went ahead with it.

"Mai, calm down," Ayako commanded, gripping her arms from behind her, effectively pinning her down.

"H-how could you?" she whispered to John. His stunned silence have a good indicator of the emotions he was feeling right now. He felt extremely guilty, and sad. Somehow he had made Mai like this. That was no Godly behavior.

"Mai, you need to calm down," Masako added quietly.

"Masako, how dare you? You were trying to exorcise a child, and painfully at that," Mai seethed. Masako's delicate eyes widened as she took this in.

"How did you know it was a child? I couldn't even sense that." Mai relaxed a little, knowing Masako hadn't purposefully tried to eradicate the child from her house.

"How did you know I was exorcising it? And that it was painful?" John added. Mai sighed, her eye brows pinching together.

"I could feel every single bit of it." Nobody tried to conceal their startled gasps. Masako was silently fuming. Stupid Mai, showing her up again. The spirits were supposed to communicate with her, not Mai. Why had it talked to Mai and not Masako?

"Let's get you back to base. I'll inform Naru to hold off all exorcisms for now," Ayako said in a softer tone. Mai nodded wearily, a little drained from her adventure. John and Masako watched her go with different expressions.

* * *

"Hold off all exorcisms? Why?" Naru asked Ayako sharply. Mai sighed and looked away. There she went again, annoying Naru.

"Why? Because Mai here can feel each and every moment of their pain," Ayako snapped defensively. Mai couldn't even look back at Naru as his fierce gaze turned to her.

"That's very disappointing. How are we going to exorcise the spirits?" he said coolly. Ayako frowned at him. He was being awfully cold considering Mai just went through hell and back, probably literally.

"I could just leave when you exorcise spirits," Mai suggested quietly. Naru sighed and pressed his fingertips to his temple.

"That won't work; you're spiritually attached to the house somehow. It would still affect you," he said back. Mai frowned at her shoes. Kaname, it had to be Kaname's fault. She sought Mai out for help, and somehow tied Mai's spirit to the house.

"We'll just have to appease the spirits," Mai said resolutely.

"Tell me, genius, how you plan to do that." Naru's answer was curt and icy. Mai glared up at him, determination evident in her eyes.

"I'll figure it out, just give me some time," she reassured him. Naru returned her fierce glare, and the two were soon locked in an intense staring contest.

"You know what, why don't I just ask Gene, maybe he'll help me beyond staring me down," Mai suddenly snapped. Naru's scowl deepened.

"You know you can't just talk to him at will. If you could, it would make things easier for all of us," Naru answered. A sly smile crossed Mai's face, stopping his glare.

"That's what I've been meaning to tell you. I can safely go to the spirit plane and back, I don't even need to be sleeping," she said, her voice getting excited.

"Mai, do you have any idea how dangerous that is," Ayako scolded her. Naru backed Ayako up, and so did Lin.

"No, I've done it before, at least three times. It looks scary for you guys, but Gene told me I'm totally fine, and I trust him," Mai explained. Everyone fell silent, considering this.

"If we can't do exorcisms, then this seems like our best shot," Naru finally caved. Mai gave him a bright smile. Unfortunately, Lin wasn't so keen on the idea.

"Not a chance. We'll cleanse the house, and if anything happens to Mai we'll just stop and try a different tactic. What are you thinking Naru, risking her like that?" Lin said vehemently. Mai frowned at him. He had no faith in her whatsoever.

"I never said I'd do it, I just said it seems like our best shot. We'll do cleansings and I'll keep an eye on Mai along with Hara-san when she gets back. Tomorrow I'll think about it," he defended himself. With a crushed look, Mai flopped onto the couch. This was going nowhere, and fast.

* * *

`_"Mai, come see this," Gene motioned her over. Mai realized that she was sleeping, but she didn't mind, she'd go back._

_ "I know that the three original lovers are still here, but I don't know how to go about releasing them," Mai said dejectedly as she started over towards him. Gene smiled mysteriously._

_ "That's what I'm about to show you," he replied. Mai quickly reached him, and stood beside him, giving him a curious look._

_ The scene quickly changed, and Mai watched a young man wearing glasses enter the storage room. Mai had the urge to run into the vision and pull him out, but it would do no good. She watched the scene, biting her lip to refrain from crying out._

_ "Wasn't he the first victim?" Mai asked, now recognizing the face in the record books. Gene nodded solemnly, and Mai fell silent as a black mass formed._

_ "You have paid attention very well," the mass growled out, it's voice low and demonic. The man nodded._

_ "Hai, what is your request," he said in a shaky voice. The mass laughed, and the form of a man emerged._

_ "Let me see your mark first," the ghost said, grabbing his arm. The ghost pulled back his sleeve to reveal a large bruise going around his fore-arm. It looked painful, and Mai winced as the man whimpered when the ghost touched it._

_ The ghost chuckled, a strange twisted laugh that sent shivers up and down Mai's spine. She moved closer to Gene, not wanting to be alone to witness what would surely be his untimely death._

_ "Now tell me, what is the answer to my question? What is the meaning of love?" Mai frowned. What an odd question. _

_ "It means standing by someone's side until the end," he replied in a shaky voice. There was a sharp slice and a long sword ended up piercing the poor man's chest. With a startled cry he fell to the earth, writhing and crying out in pain. Mai watched with tears in her eyes as the ghost laughed and vanished._

_ "Wrong." The word hovered in the air. Time sped up, and things changed in the room, many different people walking in and out. Next was another man, but this time he was older. Mai watched in silent horror, knowing what would happen._

_ "Show me your mark," the ghost commanded, materializing. The man hesitantly pulled back his sleeve to show the same sick arm band the last victim sported._

_ "Good. You have done your research, I suppose?" the man nodded._

_ "Very well, what is the definition of love?" Mai tugged on Gene's sleeve._

_ "What is this? What does it all mean? I don't know who it is, I can't see them past the haze," she whispered frantically. Gene watched her with sad eyes before turning back to hear the man's answer._

_ "It's an instant connection between two people," he answered. Mai knew instantly he was wrong, even before the ghost said so._

_ "Wrong." This time, the man started screaming and clutching his head, running around frantically before falling to the ground, twitching. Mai watched quietly, her heart growing heavier with each death. There were four more deaths, and each time Mai felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. They didn't deserve that._

_ "Love means being with the right person."_

_ "Love means never being unfaithful."_

_ "Love is a promise, to stay with someone."_

_ Mai watched as Kaname strode in._

_ "She's not supposed to be there! He only wants young men," Mai hissed, not wanting to see the helpful little girl die._

_ "Watch." Mai couldn't and she told him so. Gene relented, and pulled her close to him, shielding her eyes from the gruesome scene._

_ "What is love?"_

_ "Love is what mommy and daddy have."_

_ "And what would that be?"_

_ "An unwavering faith in the other. They trust each other with their lives." The ghost laughed._

_ "That was insightful, but it's not what I'm looking for. I'm sorry." There was a horrible screeching noise and the scent of blood filtered through the air. Gene gently sat down, balancing the distraught girl on his lap. It felt uncomfortable, but she was too upset to care._

_ "Mai, do you know what love is?" Gene asked suddenly. Mai wiped away her tears and looked up at him._

_ "Isn't love when you would do anything to be by that person and keep them safe? That urge that makes you want to forget everything else but the way they feel when they're in your arms, or their smile, and the satisfaction of knowing that although they might not realize it, you do love them, and you'll be with them for all eternity?" Mai answered hesitantly, remembering Tanaka's words before his death. Gene suddenly burst into laughter, bouncing Mai slightly, who was sitting on his lap._

_ "I'll be darned, you got it right on the first try," he chuckled. Mai smiled up at him, a little unsure of herself._

_ "Why does he ask that? Does he want to find the reason he's feeling these things for Saeko? Does he want those feelings put into words?" Mai questioned, poking Gene when he didn't respond at first._

_ "Mai, you are a genius. You need to go, but I have one more thing to show you." The blackness faded and they were back in the tunnels. Gene bent down and picked up a small piece of wood lying against the wall._

_ "I love you, and because I love you I will never leave," Mai read aloud. Gene nodded. _

_ "You must find and destroy this board in order to solve the case. Now go, you don't have much time." Gene suddenly rolled up his sleeve. On his arm was the same twisted bruise. Mai gasped and peered up at him._

_ "Naru?" she asked, although she was sure she knew the answer. Gene gave her a gentle push and Mai stumbled backwards, falling through the never ending darkness._


	7. Tunnels: Yashito-san Strikes

**Investigation: Day 3 – 5:30 AM**

Mai was up bright and early, much to Ayako's displeasure. These last three days she'd been staying at Ayako's because she didn't trust Mai's visions, and was in charge of waking up the grumpy miko every morning to get to work.

"Well Matsuzaki-san, your work ethic has improved. I wonder who's fault that is," Naru semi-jokingly greeted them this morning. Ayako flushed bright red and tried to resist hitting her young boss while Mai giggled next to her.

Already Masako was at the base, and sitting all over Naru. She could tell she had been fake crying, since her face was twisted but there were no tears. Masako had been feeling particularly jealous yesterday after Mai managed to convince Naru to call off all exorcisms, so she tried to bait Naru again, but he wasn't falling for it.

This morning she burst into base sobbing and clutching at Naru, claiming she'd had a dream. His exact reaction?

"Isn't that what Mai does?" Masako glowered at the thought, but quickly replaced it with a mournful expression. Stupid jerk, curse his handsomeness and impossibility to get. Normally guys would be all over her, but this idiot didn't realize how pretty she was.

Now she was trying as hard as she could to stay near Naru, although she could tell he was getting annoyed. At least the look on Mai's face was enough compensation. It was a mix between rage, confusion and sadness. It serves her right for her mean remarks yesterday.

"Naru, I need to speak to you," Mai said sharply. Naru noticed her tone and shot her a surprised look. Was he actually paying attention to her? Normally he just dismissed Masako and the others, but for Mai he'll actually look at her when she talks.

"Is it really that important?" he asked warily. Mai gave him a determined look that seemed to speak volumes for him.

"Sorry Hara-san, but you're going to have to hold onto Matsuzaki-san for now," he said as he got up, practically toppling her onto the floor. Ayako shot Masako an amused look, and then gave Mai a pointed one.

Mai quickly led Naru down the hall to a dark corner. He had to admit, he was curious as to what she was doing. Was she going to confess her love for him or something? He was a bit startled when she spun around and tugged back his sleeve. He winced when he saw the painful bruise circling his arm. _Why the bruise? Why did they mark him like this? _Mai wondered. Suddenly an image of Yeu grabbing Saeko's arm painfully as he pulled her close flashed across her vision. Well, that cleared some things up.

"Why didn't you tell me about this," she hissed, low and angry. Naru scoffed.

"Why would I tell you?" Her brown eyes darkened a shade.

"I tell you everything, don't I?" He sent her a sly smile.

"Gene tells me of the conversations you two have, you know." Mai had the decency blush, and it made Naru's smirk grow.

"H-Hai hai," she stammered. "You can't go in there. I'll go instead." Naru froze for a second, trying to sort out what she said when the solution hit him.

How did she know? Wait, she was Mai, she was all knowing apparently. Well, all knowing when it came to the wrong things.

"I'm not going to put you in danger like that, partly because I really can't afford your hospital bills anymore," he lied, realizing he just said something partly caring.

"I thought I told you, I'll be fine," she said angrily. Stupid idiot, was he trying to get himself killed? Naru frowned down at her, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Do you already know what happens?" Mai looked away, a sad look on her face.

"Yes. They died all five of them. Even the little girl, Kaname," she whispered. Naru's face betrayed his shock. He had expected something dangerous, but he quickly realized this was literally a case of life and death.

"You saw all that?" A short nod was his reply. With an exasperated sigh he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Why would you risk yourself like that?" Mai gave him a look that said, _duh._

"Why wouldn't I?" Naru mused over those words.

"If you really think you can do this…" he trailed off. Mai nodded resolutely. With another sigh, Naru nodded.

"Very well, let's get back before the others start a conspiracy," he replied. Mai gave him a sly smile as they started back to base.

"They started the second we left." Another sigh from Naru.

* * *

"Mai, there you are," Ryuko shouted excitedly. Mai turned to him, a bright smile on her face. Ryuko eagerly returned the smile.

"You look happy," Mai commented with a laugh once he caught up to her. He nodded.

"My father's coming home tonight, I can't wait for you to meet him," he explained. Mai's smile faltered, but only slightly. Ryuko didn't pay any attention; he was too excited for his father to see the girl he liked.

"When will he be here?" Mai asked casually.

"Probably in a couple hours," he replied. Mai gulped. She had a feeling she wouldn't like the man.

"Great, he sounds interesting," she said stumbling over her words. Ryuko nodded to her statement.

"He sure is. Hey, you know, I never did tell you about my sister," he suddenly said. Mai gave him a curious look. She kind of already knew her, but if it made him feel better to get it out, then so be it. Ryuko suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the den, his grip slightly painful.

"I was joking; I don't need to talk about my sister. She's haunting you, isn't she?" his voice was tight and painful.

"If she had long red curls and big hazel eyes, then yeah, I think she's haunting me," Mai admitted. Ryuko sighed sadly and looked away.

"I just wish she'd move on," he said quietly. Mai leaned forwards.

"I know how to do it, just give me some time," she said excitedly. Ryuko turned to her, and she thought anger flashed through his eyes, but she couldn't be sure.

"Just, take care of her, please," he pleaded. Mai nodded, inching past him and out the now open door and right into the waiting arms of Naru.

"Why don't you tell me your brilliant plan?" he asked snidely. Mai scowled up at him. Of course he was here to rain on her parade.

"I'll explain, just, please don't kill me," Mai squeaked. Naru gave her his most withering glare, and finally relented when he realized it had no power over her.

"My asking to change places with you has something to do with it," she finally let out some information. Naru stared straight ahead. She really was too kind for her own good, risking her own life to save his and give the spirits of this house some peace.

They walked quietly down the corridors when they ran into Yashito-san. Mai nervously slid behind Naru when she saw a large blue bag in her hands. Naru gave her an annoyed look as to say, _don't let me face her alone. _Mai shrugged unapologetically.

"Hello DEAR, you must be MAI," she screeched once she saw Mai. Mai nodded once.

"Hai. Can I help you Yashito-san?" The woman let out a raucous laugh, as if she'd just said the funniest thing ever.

"You've helped enough. Why, RYUKO's never been so HAPPY since you've arrived." Mai felt a familiar blush creep into her cheeks. What had she gotten herself into now? Naru gently pressed his fingertips to his forehead, an exasperated remark building up in him. It was fear of Mai's wrath that he kept it down. Yes, he was a little frightened of Mai's wrath, who wouldn't be?

"That's wonderful ma'am," Mai said politely, not moving from behind her human shield.

"So POLITE, I'd love to have you as a DAUGHTER-IN-LAW," she practically yelled. Mai was blushing so hard she was practically radiating heat.

"I'm honored," she stammered. Naru was growing tired of this, and was seriously considering just leaving Mai on her own against this lady. He could deal with ghosts, demons and Gods, but annoying old ladies weren't in his list of skills.

"Mo-om, stop you're embarrassing me," Ryuko's annoyed voice sounded from behind them. Both Naru and Mai turned to sneak a peek at their saviour.

"Oh, there you are honey. I was just telling MAI about your UNDYING LOVE for her." Mai learned something just then. Yashito-san had a habit of accentuating all the wrong words. Ryuko groaned loudly and stalked past the two stunned teenagers, and Yashito-san and her son walked down the hall way arguing loudly. Mai let out a sigh of relief.

"Good to know you've got my back," Mai said happily, patting Naru's shoulder. He grunted and stalked off, a relieved Mai close behind.

* * *

Mai stood in the den with Monk as he did a cleansing.

"Tell me why Naru sent you with me again?" he muttered as Mai tripped over a low coffee table and crashed to the ground, an angry remark building in her throat. She resorted to shooting Monk a glare before getting up and dusting herself off.

"I'm guessing because yours are the most violent, me being here will stop you quicker," Mai suggested, not too sure of the reason herself. Monk frowned.

"I'm honored that Naru thinks my methods are violent," he said sadly.

"Yeah, but they're effective," Mai piped up. Monk managed a cheerful smile for her, but truth was he was nervous. He had never performed an exorcism before and had to worry about someone's safety. If anything went wrong, Mai could be seriously injured, and he didn't want the responsibility.

"Eh, Jou-chan, how did you manage to get spiritually attached to this place?" Monk joked, getting ready for the cleansing. Mai shrugged.

"I guess the little girl saw me and thought I could help," Mai said absentmindedly, leaning casually against the wall, watching Monk's movements. Monk shot her a strange look.

"You never did tell me about the girl, did you?" Mai shook her head.

"Only Naru knows, and that's because I accidently let it slip, and I guess he blabbed to everyone," Mai said bitterly. Monk shot her a sympathetic smile.

"He's worried, you know. In all his time as a researched he's probably never seen someone get physically affected by spiritual cleansings, or at least it's rare," Monk said. Mai frowned.

"I doubt it. I just think he's angry. Ever since I found out about that-"Mai cut herself off before she spilled a secret. Monk simply arched his eye brow, knowing full well if Mai actually wanted to keep a secret, she would.

"Well then Jou-chan, let's get this started," Monk said cheerfully once he was set up. He folded his hands and began chanting, a chant Mai hadn't heard before. It was probably because he used stronger methods than his gentle cleansing, but either way it got the job done.

Mai sat in tense silence as he worked, waiting for anything. Luckily he finished his ritual, and Mai had felt no pain. Monk slapped a thin sheet of paper onto the coffee table, and Mai recognized it as one of Ayako's charms to ward off spirits.

"This room is clean, no ghosties here at all," Monk announced, stretching his shoulders. Mai smiled pleasantly.

"I didn't feel anything," she said proudly as the two headed out into the hall. Monk closed the door quietly as to avoid attracting spirits, who were drawn to loud noises in hopes that somebody could see them, and tacked another charm onto the door. Nothing could get in now unless it was stronger than Ayako. Unfortunately, a lot was stronger than Ayako, so they'd have to rely on luck.

"I wonder how John and Masako are doing in the attic," Mai mused as they headed to the next room for purification, the dining room.

"Probably spraying holy water everywhere, and Masako talking quietly like this," Monk demonstrated Masako's curious way of talking through her sleeve. It was so comedic to hear a quiet girly voice come out of Monk that Mai promptly burst into laughter, and Monk quickly joined in.

Up in the attic at that exact moment John sprayed a fine showed of holy water over the room and said a quick prayer for cleansing.

"It feels good," Masako whispered into her sleeve, and John shot her a confident smile. Back downstairs Monk had a worried look on his face.

"I just hope he doesn't do anything," Monk said softly. Mai waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"I trust John; he's a good priest, and a gentle and kind one. Of all of us here, John definitely cares most about people," Mai said kindly. Monk smiled at her kind words, although everyone knew it was Mai who was best with people.

Monk pushed the dining room door open and entered the room.

"How do American's fit through doors like this with a tray of tea?" Mai wondered. Monk bent down and had a serious look on his face, as if he were about to reveal a great secret.

"Legend says they don't actually drink tea," he whispered before a sly grin crossed his face and straightened up.

"No tea? I don't think I'd like that," Mai admitted, wrinkling her nose slightly. Monk nodded his agreement. Tea really was a big part of Japan's culture; every household drank tea of some sort. It was very soothing and cleared their heads for the day.

"You know how tea clears people's heads, right? With the amount Naru drinks I'm surprised he's not an air-head," Monk said suddenly, thinking about that statement. Mai giggled.

"Don't let him hear you say that," she warned him, and Monk suddenly blushed bright red.

"I'm probably in trouble, there's a camera right there," he said quietly. Mai's laughter increased at his embarrassment. Out of the group, Mai, Yasu and Monk were constantly getting into trouble, and had become immune to his condescending ways, but once in a while even Yasu got nervous thinking about his wrath.

"Let's hope Naru has mercy on your soul. Shall we get started?" Mai said, kneeling down on the floor. Monk shot her an irritated look.

"'Shall we get started?' says the girl who's doing nothing but sit there," Monk said with fake bitterness. Mai flashed him a good-natured smile as he got set up. The ritual proceeded, and as before Mai didn't feel anything, which meant there were no spirits present, and they were just creating a barrier.

They were almost finished when a loud Yashito-san burst in, chattering a mile a minute to nobody in particular. Monk and Mai sweat-dropped as she bustled around the dining room, tidying up.

"Don't mind me dears, I'm just tidying up for Yashito-kun," she exclaimed when she saw Mai and Monk's shocked faces. Monk shook his head slightly and cleared his throat. With her loud behaviour, the noise would attract spirits, who tended to gravitate to noise in the chance that somebody could see them and help them move on.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Monk started when suddenly the door slammed closed, and the lights flicked off. Mai gasped and stood up, leaning against the wall by the door. She was backed up in a corner, so if a ghost was present she'd have to book it before she was attacked.

"Oh, dearie me, the door does that. I'll just go and check the power, we must be experiencing an outage," Yashito-san said cheerfully, ignoring the kid's surprised expressions. She half-skipped over to the door, bouncing slightly as she tried in vain to tug the door open.

"It won't open," Mai suggested helpfully.

"It won't open," Yashito-san said, turning a frightened face to Mai, who was watching with amusement flickering across her face. Monk got ready for an exorcism, Mai's safety in danger or not. Chances are, she'd get injured worse from the spirit than the exorcism, and it was a risk he was willing to take. Mai helped Yashito-san over to stand by Monk, who was in the middle of the room standing uncertainly.

"Monk, I don't feel a direct presence," Mai alerted him, which meant the spirit was either being tricky or hadn't fully entered the room yet. Monk nodded once and folded his hands, ready to start chanting. As he started Mai felt a faint ringing in her head, but it wasn't too bad, so she kept quiet.

Just then a large black mass formed on the opposite side of the room, passing through the wall. Yashito-san screamed and viciously gripped Mai's arms, ignoring her cries of protest.

"No! Eat her, not me," she screeched, pushing Mai in front of the trio. Mai frowned and struggled against her grip, but the woman was big and strong.

"Yashito-san, calm down, I can handle this. No need to sacrifice Mai," Monk assured her, his eyes twinkling on the last sentence. Mai shot him an annoyed look as she squirmed some more, her arms hurting where Yashito-sans large hands were wrapped around them.

"Oh, uh, of course, sorry dear," she relented slightly. She let go, but held Mai in front of them with a withering stare. Mai scowled at the lady before backing up slightly so Monk was a couple inches in front of her. The three formed a ragged line as they faced the malicious presence.

"Back off," it hissed, extending a large, black arm at Mai. Mai frowned back at it once she realized it meant Naru.

"No way," she said stubbornly. Monk was continuing his chant now, another unfamiliar one since he was using gentler methods in order to avoid hurting Mai too badly. Mai was starting to feel light headed, which meant it was having effect on the ghost.

"It's working Monk, keep it up," Mai reassured him, gently pressing a trembling hand to her forehead. Monk nodded and said the next line a little louder. Yashito-san watched in silence, her eyes flicking back and forth between the small young girl and the tall man in a dress.

"Back off," it warned again before disappearing. The door flung back open, and Yashito-san was quick to dart out, screaming bloody murder. Mai slapped her palm to her forehead and Monk rolled his eyes as the lights came back on and her friends rushed in.

"Is everything okay? Monk, what happened?" Ayako demanded, rushing in and heading straight for Mai.

"I'm fine, the spirit tried to stop us but Monk chased it away," Mai reassured her as Ayako's worried eyes scanned her, searching for any new injuries. Ayako clucked and patted her head, quickly moving to catch Mai as she stumbled suddenly.

"Monk, how could you do that when you know Mai can feel everything," Ayako chided. Naru was at the door with Lin and looked rather annoyed at the interruption.

"I'm totally fine, just a little dizzy. We should probably finish up in here and go to the next room," Mai said cheerfully. Ayako gave her a disapproving look before finally backing off and heading to the door, where Masako watched with a coy expression on her face.

_If Mai feels dizzy after exorcisms, maybe I, as a medium, can feel sick and angry,_ Masako thought. _Won't people be suspicious though? Two incidents in one day, and besides, I'm starting to sound desperate._ Masako frowned. Naru had scolded her earlier for not being with Mai and watching over her. Her actions were totally justified.

Masako suddenly plastered a shocked expression onto her face and she stumbled into Naru. Naru gave an involuntary grunt of annoyance, but his arms wrapped around her in order to stop her descent and knocking him over. Masako snuggled into his arms immediately, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

"I can feel it as well, a pounding on my head, and I feel weak," she muttered weakly. Mai shot her a curious look.

"Uh, but I hear a ringing," Mai corrected her. Masako gave her a sharp glare.

"No, the spirit is trying to communicate with me," she retorted. Mai frowned slightly, considering this.

"What's it saying?" John asked kindly, putting a supportive hand on her shoulder. Masako have him a quick look before burying her head into Naru's chest. She actually was feeling a presence, but it was muffled. Mai's spiritual powers were probably interfering.

"It's an angry, vengeful presence," she said. Mai snorted.

"Duh." Masako didn't even bother to hide her sharp look, but Monk and Ayako looked amused. By now everyone was used to Masako's antics to get Naru on her arm, but It was still funny. Especially when Mai totally shot down everything she said, even if not on purpose.

"That's not all, it's targeting you Naru," Masako said fretfully, peering up sadly into his cold blue eyes.

"Duh." Mai was a little peeved by now. Masako was definitely fishing here, and it was annoying her quite frankly.

"How do you know that Mai?" Lin asked sharply, and Mai rolled her eyes.

"No offense Naru, but seriously, you are always in trouble with spirits, aren't you?" she answered simply. Naru turned his cool gaze on her, but Mai didn't even flinch.

"You're one to talk," he retorted curtly. Mai shrugged, it wasn't a secret she was a danger magnet. With a short sigh, Naru tried to pry Masako off of him, but it didn't work. For someone so small, she really did have quite a grip. With an angry look, he relented and let her hug him. For the time being, though.

"Let's get back to work. I'd like to wrap this up quickly," Naru commanded. Naru and Lin were the first to leave, Masako clinging to Naru's arm. John left next, giving Monk and Mai a gentle smile, and Ayako last left, rolling her eyes at the two. Mai and Monk waved before getting back to work. The rest of time, there were no more incidents.

* * *

"So, we basically shut all the spirits in the storage room?" Mai asked Naru sharply. He nodded, not tearing his eyes from the book he was reading. Mai and Monk had arrived at base only a couple minutes ago, and were a little surprised to find it fairly empty. Ayako was doing her cleansing rituals in the bedrooms, and since hers were longer they didn't expect her to be done for a while.

John was in the attic and the office, the two darker rooms. He was appointed to them since he had gentler, yet stronger cleansing methods. Mai had felt light headed at times, but she quickly pushed the sensation away and carried on. She and Monk had the most rooms, but the shortest cleansing time, and they were soon done.

As expected, Lin and Naru stayed at base, monitoring everyone. Mai hadn't expected to see Masako sitting on the couch, conversing quietly with Naru. Mai gave her an angry glare before hurrying to put some of the stuff away while Monk changed into regular clothes.

Mai had asked Naru about his plans for cleansing most of the rooms. Some of the spirits had passed on according to Masako, but there were some left. Mai could guess which ones. Tanaka. Saeko. Yeu. Kaname. She wondered why Kaname hadn't left, but she supposed the girl couldn't leave until the main ghosts were cleared out. It was her way of protecting her family.

She was startled to hear that Naru had chased them down into the storage room, where he was probably going to face all four ghosts at once. She knew he could take them on with his powers, but still, he'd suffer from it. Mai was furious that he would risk himself like that, and she was in the process of telling him so.

"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" Naru asked calmly, finally glancing up at her angry face.

"Yes, I do. I have a big problem with that," she retorted. Naru managed a small scowl before he got his emotions under control. He wasn't all that surprised she was upset. Despite everything, she really did worry about him. While at times it was endearing, sometimes the girl was so block-headed that she couldn't see that she was putting herself in harm's path for him.

"Care to fill me in?" Mai fell silent, knowing she couldn't give up his secret that he'd been marked. While she was upset, she respected him enough to obey his wished. Yet, her sentence danced on the tip of her tongue.

_You idiot, I have it all figured out. I really do, _she thought sadly. Naru's eyes widened. Had he just heard Mai's voice in his head? Then he relaxed slightly. People with blue tones could read people's thoughts, while people with red tones could project their thoughts onto other peoples. It was normally controlled, but when they were flustered and angry, their thoughts were on broadcast to the person they were focused on.

"You don't have to worry about me, I'm sure I can take care of myself. If you want to worry about someone, worry about Yashito-kun and his family instead," cut in smoothly before she accidently revealed something.

"He can take care of himself," Mai said bitterly. Naru was a little surprised at this statement, but didn't allow it to show, keeping his cold mask on.

"If you're done fighting useless battles, you can get me some tea," he said sharply. Mai gave him a strange look, one that even Naru couldn't decipher, and he had her various faces memorized. Finally she turned on her heel and stalked off.

"You were being unnecessarily harsh," Lin informed Naru.

* * *

**Quick Author's Note:**

**The final part of the book is coming up, so get ready. It has a surprise ending, and please let me know if I missed anything or if anything seems off to you. Here we go!**


	8. Tunnels: End Part 1

**Investigation: Day 4 – 1:30 P.M**

Masako sighed in frustration. All day she had been trying to bring something back to Naru, not just to make him proud, but also because she was paid for it. But, all day, she had sensed nothing. Nothing at all besides the faint and muffled presences.

Now that they'd done all the cleansings, she was even more baffled. It was like the spirits were hiding, and waiting. Determined to find some answers, Masako stood in front of the entrance to the tunnels. Although she already felt incredibly frightened, she knew she had to do this.

With a quick prayer, she hesitantly entered the tunnels. A feeling of dread and sadness washed over her, but she pushed it aside. She could handle it, and if anything happened she's just call for Naru. Already she was feeling presences, a faint whisper of some kind. Images flashed across her vision, and she realized it was the spirits trying to communicate with her.

_If Mai has to deal with this, why isn't she insane yet,_ Masako thought to herself as she slowly worked her way down the tunnels. She hadn't brought a light in hopes that the spirits wouldn't be scared off, but now she was regretting that decision.

_I can't believe I'm saying this, but I wish Mai were here. She'd help me, yet keep me entertained with her silly remarks. _A faint thud sounded next to her, and Masako resisted the urge to scream. She seriously hoped it was nothing. To be injured on a private mission was highly embarrassing. Only Mai could make her unjustified danger runs look semi-graceful. If Masako was caught disobeying orders, she'd be dead, whether it at the hands of a ghost or Naru.

"Spirits, please communicate with me. I only wish to help you out of your ceaseless suffering," Masako pleaded quietly. She quickly flushed slightly when she realized she sounded like Matsuzaki-san, but she was desperate here.

A wave of longing passed over her, and she suppressed her imminent tears.

"Why have you come? You are in great danger," a soft female voice murmured. Masako glanced around the dark tunnel, but it was no use. She couldn't see anything.

"I need some answers, please. I only wish to help you," she added after she realized how rude she probably sounded. A light airy laugh echoed around the tunnel.

"Ask your little brunette friend," it advised her. Masako felt an irritated scowl cross her face.

"I'd much rather help you myself," she said stubbornly. The ghost laughed again, and Masako could faintly feel a warm, motherly presence.

"Jealousy is not a good emotion, it is how we met our demise," the voice said wisely. Masako wiped the childish look off her face.

"You died because of jealousy?" Masako wished she could erase that stupid sentence from her memory. Why had she said that?

"Yes. Jealousy is man's greatest down fall." Masako frowned slightly.

"Isn't it greed?" the ghost's presence chilled slightly, and then warmed up. Its motherly feeling increased slightly and Masako could tell it was putting on a false aura. Before she could leave, the ghost interrupted.

"You are very wise. Now go, before you are injured." Masako sighed impatiently and turned to head back. Before she could she saw a pale ghostly hand reach out.

The next thing she saw was a hazy darkness as Masako slumped to the floor, unconscious.

* * *

Mai was running through the house, a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had a vision of Masako lying on the ground, unconscious dancing across her vision. John wasn't too far behind her as he was with her when she saw the vision. Could you call it that? It seemed like a vision to her.

"Mai-san, where are you going?" John called, slightly out of breath. Mai tore around the corner and yanked open the door to the storage room, practically flying down the stairs. John wasn't so lucky, as the door, which opened outwards, swung around and knocked him the rest of the way down the stairs. The door slammed shut as John hit the bottom awkwardly, plunging them into darkness.

"John, did you bring your flash light?" Mai commanded. John heaved himself off the floor and started to make his way over to where he thought Mai was. Unfortunately, he was wrong, and he collided into a wall.

"Oi, I don't think so," John admitted, rubbing his head. Mai sighed impatiently. She'd have to rely on her instincts.

"Come on John, I'm going into the tunnels," Mai said before turning and racing into the entrance. John easily knew where the tunnels were. The opening was like a giant maw, darker than black and inviting hapless travelers in. He was quick to follow the dull footsteps pounding against the earth, and soon caught up to Mai.

"Do you know where you're going? Are you even allowed in here?" John called up ahead to the solitary silhouette making its way down the endless earthy corridors. John estimated they'd been running at least a mile, but Mai showed no signs of stopping.

"I have no idea, but I'm probably going to find out real soon," Mai said grimly. John put on an extra burst of speed so he was running even with her, the two racing headlong down the tunnels. John was breathing impossibly fast right now, and Mai was no different.

Suddenly she felt a faint presence, a weak tingle alerting her to a living person nearby. She ran ahead five feet before she tripped over a soft mound, sailing into the ground. John, who was not being blessed with luck at the current time, also tripped over the object and landed heavily on Mai, who cried out in pain.

"Gee, I'm sorry Mai, are you alright? What was that?" John asked quietly, rolling off of Mai's small frame. She propped herself up into a sitting position and strained to make out what the strange object was in the dark.

"Is that Masako?" Mai wondered, shifting onto her knees to get a better look at the figure. She gently ran her hands over the tip of the mound, and felt Masako's soft kimono. She heaved a sigh of relief.

"She's here. John, can you carry her back?" Mai asked the confused priest.

"Sure thing," was his confident reply. He quickly scooped Masako up bridal style in order to carry her comfortably. Her head lolled around, making John feel slightly scared. He could feel something trickling onto his hand, but he tried to push that thought away. His biggest concern was getting Masako out and into the light.

"Go John, I'll catch up to you," Mai insisted after he stood for several seconds, waiting for her command. He sighed and started off, but was stopped when Mai cleared her throat.

"John."

"Yes?"

"The exit's the other way." Mai could feel John's blush, even in the stifling darkness.

"Ah, I see. Thanks Mai."

"Unless… you wanted to spend more time cuddling Masako?" Mai could imagine John's flaming face, and smirked.

"No, I'll be going now." He was so embarrassed he didn't even bother to check if Mai was behind him before he ran off, cradling Masako loosely in his arms. Mai sighed as she heard his footsteps retreat before pulling herself into a standing position.

_You must break this; it's the key to the case_. Mai had an image of the rough wooden board in her mind, the words carved into it. She had to find it.

She cautiously made her way further into the tunnels. _If Ryuko's really been down here before, why hadn't he seen the board? _Mai wondered. _Maybe he's already found it, and I'm endangering myself for nothing._ The thought scared her, so she pushed it into the recesses of her mind and pressed onwards.

There it was. The faint tingling sensation, it started at the tip of her head and washed all the way down to her toes. She was getting closer. Suddenly, a very scary thought crossed her mind.

_If Naru finds out, he may literally kill me! _

With a frustrated moan she pushed onward at a quick pace. She knew she was getting closer when her head started throbbing. All team members with some psychic abilities found this happening, it was common occurrence. What wasn't common was the fact that her limbs were slowly going numb.

_The spirits are trying to keep me from getting the board,_ Mai thought worriedly. She moved even faster, her limbs growing heavier and slower. Luckily she didn't have much farther to go. She could spot the board up ahead, as well as the blinking light of the camera. Oh crap.

"Naru, don't come down here," Mai shouted to the camera, but she knew it was too late. With a groan, she slapped her palm to her forehead. She'd have to sprint now. Luckily it was only a few feet away, and she eagerly snatched it up. She felt a light pressure on her hands, and she wasn't sure if the board was trying to hurt her or what.

As she glanced up from her prize she saw her vision was distorted. She must be unconsciously putting up a shield again.

_How do I do that? Is it my body's natural defense mechanism? _Mai wondered, still kneeling on the ground. The board was firmly gripped in her hands, but now the faint pressure she'd been feeling before was gone. The only problem was, now she was getting sleepy.

"Mai," Naru's angry voice rang out through the tunnels. With a muffled screech, she pressed herself to the wall, curling up in a ball. The wooden piece was safely tucked in between her chest and her legs, away from Naru's prying eyes.

She felt her heart stop when she saw the faint glow of Naru's flashlight emerge around the bend. She had seriously hoped she could use the darkness to her advantage. As he came the rest of the way into view she winced at his icy expression. He was seriously ticked.

"Mai, what are you doing?" he asked harshly. His expression softened when he saw her curled up, resting against the wall. She looked incredibly angry, but also slightly vulnerable, her large brown doe eyes blinking slowly. Naru almost growled when he saw a faint red haze around her.

She was unconsciously using a shield. She was going to regret that later.

"Come on idiot, you shouldn't be here," he said, advancing onto her. She hesitantly stood up, hiding a strange object from his view. He could feel the powerful waves radiating off of it.

"Mai, drop it, right now," he said suddenly, his voice slightly shaky. Mai blinked stupidly at him before eyeing the piece of wood she cradled in the nook of her arm.

"This? No way," she insisted, her grip tightening. Naru growled in frustration and tried to reach for it. His hand recoiled when it collided with a solid, warm surface. He quickly realized it was her shield, and he had to agree with Matsuzaki-san. It was damn good shield, especially for a red tone. Blue tones were best for their defensive ways, but her shield possibly rivaled his.

"Mai, do you have any idea what that is?" Naru asked cautiously. Mai stared down at the jagged chunk, trying to piece things together.

"Nope. I have no idea," she said honestly, her brows scrunching together. "Should I know?" Naru sighed and nodded.

"Mai, you really need to let go of it. Takigawa can cleanse it before we can even think of handling it. How are you even handling it? You should be in incredible pain right now," Naru chided her gently. He hated to startle her, for fear her shield would crumble.

"Eh? Why would I be in pain?" Naru sighed and reached for her. He couldn't physically grab her right now, since he'd just meet her shield. He watched, slightly fascinated as the shield retreated to a small bubble around the board, and she reached out to slip her hand into his. She was so uncertain about things, she wasn't even all that affected by the fact that she was holding hands with her boss.

"Come on, we need to get back to the others. You're in a lot of trouble." Mai shot him a wry smile.

"You don't say?" He shot her an exasperated look. Now was not the time for games. The more she used her shield, the more likely she could injure herself. A loud crash sounded behind them, and Naru and Mai hesitantly turned around, his beam sweeping across the darkness.

Mai gasped and Naru's eyes widened when a pale figure stepped into the light. Saeko gazed at them through her curtain of matted hair, her eyes white and dead. She had a deathly aura around her, and even a novice like Mai could see it was a deep black.

"That's impossible; she's supposed to be…" Mai trailed off, her jaw falling open at the ghastly sight. The knife still stuck out of her back, blood dripping onto the ground. A terrible grimace was permanently frozen on her face, and she hissed lowly as she took a slow, shuddery step towards the frightened teenagers.

"Naru, RUN." Mai turned and ran, dragging her compliant boss behind her. The two raced back through the tunnels, but the twisted being that was now Saeko easily kept up to them. As Mai snuck a peek over her shoulder, she saw Saeko's angry face only a few inches behind them, a ghastly shriek echoing around them. Her long claws reached out, and were about to slash at Mai's face as her shield ballooned out and Saeko retracted.

"Mai," Naru called worriedly as she stumbled from the effort. She had still felt her, but she wasn't injured. It felt like someone pressed an icy block to her face when Saeko's hand collided with the shield.

"Naru, don't worry about me. Keep going," Mai urged him. Naru was practically dragging her along, her legs slowly betraying her. The ghost was retaliating.

"He's mine, Saeko, not yours," the ghost hissed. A confused look emerged on both of their faces as the ghost made another pass, this time at Naru. The shield emerged again, expanding out past the book to cover both of them. They were almost to the storage room, thank goodness.

"Mai, hold in there," Naru commanded, putting on an extra burst of speed. Mai was panting heavily, and having trouble keeping up. The ghost shrieked and clawed at Mai with such ferocity that Mai stumbled under the force on her shield.

Naru practically lifted her up the stairs behind him. They burst into the halls and slammed the door, the ghost shrieking loudly and clawing at it.

With a grunt, he hauled Mai's stubborn body down the dark corridors, trying to outrun that monster. Mai bit her lip as they raced along the halls. Naru was incredibly mad, even more so when the ghost tried to get them. She was so in for it.

"N-Naru?" Mai asked hesitantly.

"I don't want to hear it." Mai fought back a frustrated yell as the two finally burst into base, breathing heavily. Everyone swarmed over Mai and Naru, talking a mile a minute. Mai smiled when she saw a familiar pair of glasses right in front of her face.

"Yasu, hi," she said cheerfully. Yasu gave her a playful grin.

"Hi. What happened?" Mai flinched under Naru's cold gaze, and looked away. Yasu immediately noticed the tension.

"What, did you two lovers have a fight or something?" Yasu teased, a smirk playing on the corners of his lips. Mai glared fiercely at him.

_I'd never like Naru!_

"Ah, but you already do," Yasu chuckled before his face paled. Mai hadn't even said anything.

"Eh?" Monk asked, scratching his head. Was Yasu alright? Nobody said anything to him.

"Masako, how is she?" Mai suddenly asked, her head swivelling around the room. She spotted the girl laying on the futon behind the couch, curled up in a peaceful slumber. Mai hesitantly started towards her when someone's hand shot out of nowhere and latched on to her arm.

With a startled cry she yanked her arm from their grasp, whirling around to see an angry Naru.

"I don't think you should hurt her anymore," he hissed. Mai's mouth dropped open, at a loss for words.

"You think this is my fault?!" she finally screeched. Naru's impassive glare never wavered. Mai's angry look slowly faded into one of sadness as she realized he actually thought she meant for Masako to get hurt. She didn't realize Naru was incredibly worried and a little shaken from the near encounter, he wasn't thinking his words out very well.

"I'd never do that to her, or anyone," she muttered sadly. Ayako tried to reach a comforting hand out to her, but Mai was already out and running.

_Why would Naru be so cruel as to think I'd do something like that? What's his problem? _Mai thought angrily. Naru winced as her thoughts rang out loud and clear in his head.

_I was only trying to help her. Why couldn't he see that? Is he really that insensitive? _By now hot tears were running down her face. She could take lectures, yelling and harsh remarks from Naru. But being accused of purposely hurting someone badly from someone she thought she trusted, that hurt more than a thousand words. With a choked sob she found a dark corner.

Sinking to the floor she curled herself up in a ball, crying heavily. She was crying for a while when footsteps echoed around her. Thinking it was one of her friends or even Naru, she got ready to run, but when she saw Ryuko's concerned face, she relaxed.

"Mai, what are you doing? Are you alright?" Mai nodded weakly, angrily wiping away her tears.

"I'm fine, sorry. Don't worry about me," she muttered. Ryuko crouched down next to her, watching her momentarily before sitting fully next to her, his back resting against the wall. Mai hardly dared to sneak a look at him; she was mortified he saw her crying.

"What happened, may I ask?" Mai hesitated before talking. She had the feeling that she could trust him, and she really needed someone to talk to.

"It's… I…" Mai stammered. Maybe she couldn't talk after all, Naru was a jerk but he didn't deserve someone blabbing stuff all over.

"He said something rude, didn't he," Ryuko said knowingly. Mai sighed and nodded, fresh tears welling up in her eyes. Ryuko pulled the girl into a hug, and she sobbed into his shirt.

_Why is he hugging me? I don't mind though, he's being very nice. _Luckily Mai kept her thoughts to herself. She stayed crying into Ryuko's shirt for a long time before she slowly dropped off into the world of dreams. Ryuko fondly stared down at her pale, sleeping face. She really was cute.

* * *

_Mai frowned at her surroundings. She lay in a very familiar bedroom, her head hanging off her large canopy bed. Her long red curls swept the ground, bunching and rolling. With a childish giggle, she reached down to grab her curls and rake her fingers through their silky texture._

_ When she grew bored of preening her hair she sat up, the blood rushing to her head. She swayed slightly, but soon she was back to normal. With a dejected sigh, she jumped off the bed and headed to her brothers room. He wasn't home yet, and she was feeling frustrated._

_ "Mama I'm going to Yuko's room," Mai called as a young, pretty lady traipsed down the hall. Mai couldn't recognize her face, but she instantly liked her calm and happy demeanor._

_ "Very well Nene, be careful," the lady said kindly, ruffling the girls' bouncy ringlets. She was the picture of innocence and happiness. Being around her made her happy._

_ "I will Mama, when he gets home tell Yuko I left his gift on his desk," Mai said cheerfully. The lady smiled and straightened up, nodding once before bustling down the halls. She had laundry to do, and there was no time for dilly-dallying._

_ Mai skipped across the house and pushed open the door. She emerged in Ryuko's room, and a wide smile lit her features. A crumpled piece of paper was clutched tightly in her hand, and she gently laid it on his desk, on top of his homework. _

_ She was about to leave when a sharp breeze whistled across the room. She turned around slowly to see a large, dark mass hovering on top of her brother's bed. With a terrified squeal, she tried to escape but found the door would not open. She was startled out of her panic when an icy hand landed on her arm. She hissed in pain as a faint sizzling sound erupted from her arm. When the hand and the presence disappeared, she saw a large black and purple circular bruise wrapping around her fore arm._

You have seven days.

* * *

"Hold on, what happened?" Mai practically shrieked to her giggling friends. Monk and Ayako were leaning against each other for support as they laughed and Yasu struggled to adjust his glasses, although his hands were shaking from laughter. Even John was chuckling slightly, his face bright red. Masako was glaring at her fiercely though, but Mai ignored her.

"Well, I found you snuggling with Yashito-kun, all unconscious and stuff. I got really worried and kind of angry, but nowhere near as mad as Naru!" Monk began. Ayako struggled to compose herself. Seeing the events play out like that had amused her greatly, she could only imagine what was going on through Monk and Yasu's head.

"Yeah, I can't believe I'm saying this, but he went totally ballistic," John added. Mai was unfamiliar with the English term, but she knew it probably wasn't good. By now she was blushing bright red.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Mai squeaked. Not only had she left her job and gone off on her own, especially after earlier, but she was in physical contact with a client, even if she couldn't remember it. If that wasn't bad enough, she was caught by her boss of all people! She was totally doomed.

"He got really quiet all of a sudden and started staring this guy down," Ayako piped up dramatically. Immediately John, Monk and Yasu did their best angry Naru impersonation, and Mai was slightly frightened by it. Surprisingly, John's rendition looked the closest to Naru's actual glare.

"Then, he said in the most dangerous voice ever, 'get your hands off my assistant,'" Ayako continued, relishing in her spot-light. Remembering everyone's faces as this was happening sent her into a fit of giggles. Everyone was totally thunderstruck, even Lin was slightly surprised. Monk and Yasu probably had it the worst. Their jaws were practically hanging to the floor. Masako just looked miffed.

"Ryuko started stammering a lot, something about it was totally innocent and please don't kill him and such. Then he planted a soft kiss on your head, so sweet by the way, and passed you to a fuming Naru," Yasu added, cooing on the romantic parts. Mai flushed even redder and gingerly patted the top of her head.

"Ah, so you felt it," Monk said knowingly, watching her gently touch the exact spot where he kissed her. Mai looked like she was about to sink through the floor. How did she sleep through all of this?

"Wha-at? No, of course not! Continue," Mai gestured after a slight pause. She knew she'd probably regret this, but she had to know. Monk and Yasu exchanged knowing smirks.

"Naru got all huffy and just straight up carried you back to the base. I can't believe you missed all of that; it was the show-down of the century. I think Yashito-kun still fears for his life and it's been an hour or so," Yasu exclaimed. Mai buried her face in her hands.

"Oh God, now he's going to interrogate me. I don't remember any of it," she moaned. Monk suddenly leaned forwards and gently pried her hands off her face.

"You don't remember any of it? Do you think he, you know, did anything?" he asked solemnly. Suddenly everyone fell silent, this alarming new thought sending them down a road they didn't want to take.

"No, of course not! I'd definitely remember that," Mai said with a shudder. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief and started chattering about Mai's possible fate.

"I'll bet Naru takes her off the case, because he doesn't want her with her lover," Yasu mused. Mai scowled.

"He is _not _my lover," Mai protested. Masako sniffed and looked away while Yasu cackled evilly.

"Sure, whatever you say." Mai resisted the urge to hit him upside the head. He was so obnoxious!

"I'm guessing he's doing much more than that. I'll bet he's planning the ultimate revenge, so when she thinks she's safe he'll strike," Ayako jumped in eagerly. Mai gasped in horror, shooting terrified looks around the room. If Naru was thinking of some way to get her back, then it'd be very well thought out. There's a chance he could blackmail her for life if that ever happened.

"Maybe he'll outright kill her," Monk joked.

"Maybe he'll tell you to stop talking and get to work," an icy voice sounded from the door. Mai squeaked and struggled to get away when she saw Naru's cold expression, but Monk held her down, a smirk on his face. Ayako and John exchanged looks while Yasu was getting ready to defend his little brunette friend. Masako, however, was so ready to take her down. This conversation was very enlightening; maybe she could use this to her advantage to get Naru yet. She felt a pang of guilt suddenly. Why was she so obsessed with getting Naru? Maybe because she'd never been rejected before, but even so for her to stoop so low as to betray her own friend to get a guy was cruel. Maybe she shouldn't do it… but then again, seeing Naru gazing at Mai with a trace of jealousy in his eyes, it infuriated Masako.

She'd been working so hard to get him to notice her, and he never did. Besides, Naru wasn't just anybody. He was handsome, and smart, and if she really tried to bring it out, he might even be kind. Mai had already won over all the other members of the team, why couldn't Masako have just one to herself? With a haughty shake of her head, she knew then and there she wouldn't go down without a fight.

"Oh Naru, there you are. Mai was just describing her steamy moments with Ryuko," Masako said slyly behind her kimono sleeve.

"What?! _No, _I did _not!_" Mai shouted angrily. Naru frowned slightly at his hot-headed assistant. She certainly had a way of worming herself into trouble, didn't she?

"Don't lie, I know we were all just waiting for you to get into details of how you got into Ryuko's arms," Masako shot back. Mai flushed a deep shade of red.

"Why? Nothing happened," Mai said defiantly. By now her friends were leaning on the edge of their seats. It was true, they had no idea how she'd gotten into his arms in the first place, and now they were very eager to find out.

"Don't be so modest Mai, I mean we all know you two are secret lovers," Ayako said flippantly. Mai grunted and slapped her palm to her forehead. If they kept up this idiotic babble, she'd need a wall to hit her head on.

"We are _not_!" she cried. Ayako smirked at Monk before they knew what they were doing and quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed.

"Please, do tell us," Yasu said grandly, gesturing with his hand. Mai's eye twitched and Yasu grinned. This was actually quite entertaining, if you thought about it. Seeing Mai mad was hilarious, she got all red and defensive. Even if nothing had actually happened you couldn't tell with the show she was putting on.

"I-I passed out okay, I don't actually remember anything," Mai admitted. She didn't want to say she'd been sobbing like a baby when he found her, that was a little embarrassing.

"So it was drugs after all," Monk exclaimed, snapping his fingers.

"No, it was not! Stop doing that," Mai shouted, waving her hands around. Monk frowned slightly before he relented. _Maybe it wasn't drugs after all._

"You just passed out, and he happened to be there? I don't know, sounds kind of suspicious to me," Ayako agreed with Monk.

"YEAH, well, Naru has no tea so I'm going to go make him some. Bye everyone!" Mai exclaimed, trying to leave. This was getting way out of hand. By now even Lin was taking part in their conversation, although he'd secretly been listening all along. Just as Mai was about to pass through the door Naru's arm shot out and yanked her back.

"I think you should stay. Would Hara-san please get us some tea?" Mai's mouth flopped open. No way, he was totally trapping her here. Did he want to hear the story as badly as the others? If he did, he was concealing it pretty well.

"B-But can't you see them Naru? They're dangerous," Mai protested, pointing an accusatory finger at her friends, who were trying to look innocent.

"But Mai, we were just worried about your safety," Yasu said sweetly.

"You have a weird way of showing it," Mai grumbled. She wasn't going to win here, was she? With a dramatic sigh, she resigned herself to her fate, and took a hesitant seat next to her friends, who were awaiting her presence with open arms.

"As much as I'm enjoying you fight over Mai's romantic life when you have none, we do have work to do, so let's get to it." Naru cool words silenced everyone to shame, especially Mai. How did she miss all that? Was she really totally oblivious to the world when in her dreams? It was a shame, she was wondering what it would feel like to be carried by Naru, of all people. She should probably apologize to Ryuko though, he was just trying to be a good friend.

"Mai, are you even listening?" Monk asked, snapping his fingers in front of her face. Mai was so startled she toppled right out of her chair.

"Don't do that," she replied hotly. Monk shrugged and watched her as she retook her seat, holding on to the remaining shreds of her dignity. Wasn't fate just so cruel?

"Well, since Mai wasn't paying attention, I suppose I'll have to start over," Naru said condescendingly.

"Well, since Masako's not here anyways, I suppose you'll have to start over again," Mai added. Naru shrugged.

"I'll relay the information to her personally, something tells me she'll understand it on the first try," he said casually. Mai scowled at him. It was funny how he could go from being apparently jealous that she was in the same area as another guy to kind and considerate for Masako. _Did he have a personality disorder or something?_

"No Mai, I don't have a personality disorder, but thanks for your opinion," Naru said snidely. Mai blushed as her friends started laughing.

"As I was saying, I'm going to send Brown-san and Matsuzaki-san into the tunnels to exorcise the spirit. Takigawa, stay with Mai and go through the remaining rooms. Make sure the spirit can't flee anywhere when we do a final exorcism later. Yasuhara, I suppose you have information?" Naru asked, turning his gaze onto Yasu. He nodded importantly and produced a thick green folder full of stuff he'd found researching. Mai had to wonder, _where did he get that from? Did he just pull that out of thin air?_

"No, I didn't pull it out of thin air, Mai. Are you okay? Did you hit your head or something?" Yasu asked, an amused expression flickering across his face.

"Yeah, probably," Mai murmured. She was too busy focusing on something though. She could sense Kaname's presence, and it seemed frantic. There in the corner she could see her start to materialize. Her eyes involuntarily widened as she took in her gruesome appearance. Gone was the sweet little girl who was guiding her through this case. Now a twisted and bent for of her stood staring at Mai sadly.

"Well, I searched the deaths in this place. I thought for sure this'd help us so we'd know what to avoid," Yasu began, oblivious to Mai's startled expression. Lin noticed, but he knew the girl well enough to keep silent.

"A total of nine people have died so far, most of them young men."

"Nine people? No, that's impossible, there's only six," Mai suddenly piped up, able to tear her gaze away from the girl. Kaname's eyes saddened even more. She had to understand!

"No, there's define- oh, hey you're right, there's only six. I misread my sheets! How did you know?" Yasu asked her. Mai shrugged. They should know by now.

"The first person to die was a Sakura Tamati, a simple farmer boy from the area. He was-"

"Found in the storage room, a sword through his chest," Mai finished dreamily, recalling her visions. Yasu chuckled suddenly.

"Why do I even bother, she already knows it all," he teased. Mai gave him a wry smile. Sometimes her talent was useful, sometimes it was a major pain.

"Okay smarty-pants, how did the next one die?" Yasu asked. Mai frowned, trying to think.

"He started screaming and holding his head before he fell, so I'm guessing a brain aneurysm " Mai guessed correctly. Yasu grunted. This could be fun, turning this into a quiz of sorts.

"And the third one?" Mai frowned. If she remembered correctly…

"A support beam fell and crushed his skull." Yasu grunted. Maybe she was smarter than he thought.

"And the fourth?" Mai drew a blank, but then Kaname pulled a hand signal, and she remembered.

"Suffocation, cause unknown."

"And the fifth one?"

"He died of a heart attack." Yasu eyes brightened.

"HAH! No he did not, he had a seizure!" Yasu corrected her eagerly.

"No, he had a heart attack. Check again," Mai said, sounding bored. Yasu frowned as he studied his sheet of paper, a sheepish look emerging on his face.

"Fine, last question. How did the sixth victim die?" Mai suddenly looked away.

"I couldn't watch that one," Mai whispered. Yasu fell silent and glanced away, while everyone gave her a sympathetic expression.

"No offense Mai, but that's a really depressing talent," John piped up, looking worried. Mai agreed whole-heartedly. She could remember the first death she ever saw, when Tomiko's mother hurled herself down the well. They all haunted her.

"Enough of this sadness and gloom, you're starting to sound like Naru!" Naru grunted at this statement, but Monk paid him no attention. "Did they report any spiritual activity at all as well?"

"Monk, that's really not all that more cheerful," Ayako quipped. Monk shrugged as if to say, hey, I tried.

"Actually, yes, after the first death people started noticing strange things," Yasu affirmed, pulling out a different sheet of paper.

"That's a lot of writing kid, I'm surprised your hand hasn't fallen off," Monk commented upon seeing the sheet crammed full of Yasu's messy symbols. Ayako took one look and nodded vigorously. Did this kid ever stop?

"Hey, Yasu, could you tell me if there were ever three deaths in the last hundred years before all these recent ones?" Mai piped up, thinking about Saeko and Tanaka. Naru's eyes brightened and he shifted forwards slightly.

"Yeah, I found them, but it was a hell of a struggle to get my hands on these records. It was pretty sad, actually. A suicide pact or something," Yasu said curiously.

"More like a murder gone wrong," Mai said bitterly. Yasu shrugged and shook his head. He'd never get used to her odd knack of just _knowing_ how things really were.

"Were there any strange marks on the victims? Was there a pattern or something?" John piped up. Everyone turned to Mai suddenly, expecting an answer.

"Don't rely on me too much guys, my dreams aren't all that steady," Mai protested, waving her hands around. Monk arched his eye brow. He knew full well she knew the answer.

"Agh, fine, I'll tell you. There was a bruise that wrapped around their forearm, and they were all young males. There was one exception when Yashito-san's daughter died in place of her brother on a total fluke," Mai said finally.

"The Yashito's had a daughter?" Monk piped up, "Why haven't we seen her?"

"Because she's dead, idiot," Ayako retorted. Mai frowned at that statement.

"I've actually wondered about that. Other than her closed room, there are no pictures of her around the house. I only found out about her through Ryuko, and that was an accident," Mai mused.

"So, you're saying maybe her death wasn't spiritually related, it was foul play?" Monk suggested. Mai shrugged.

"You'll have to ask Naru for his opinion, I'm afraid mine won't help much," she replied. Just then Masako walked in, balancing a tray of teas. Naru gratefully accepted one and took a sip, and everyone followed suit. Masako looked dejected when Lin didn't want any tea, but she brushed it off. Once she had passed them around she sidled up to Naru and stood by him, graciously sipping her tea.

"Well, enough chit-chat, let's work. Oh, and Mai?" Mai glanced up at Naru expectantly. "No going off with the clients."


	9. Tunnels: End Part 2

Mai grumbled as she kicked aside an old metal pail down in the storage room. She and Bou-san were in there putting up a seal so the spirit in the tunnels couldn't leave. Normally it would've been in the storage room but Mai put up a fuss since all the victims were murdered there, so they sealed off the room. Naru stood next to her, eyeing her childish behavior. Although, he had to admit, it was kind of cute. She looked like an innocent little kid.

"Na-ru, are we almost done," she whined. She'd been down there for a good two hours, and she really had to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately her boss wouldn't let her leave until the ritual was finished, partly because he was worried she'd sneak off and see Yashito-kun again. With a grunt she sat down on a large metal chest. Suddenly her vision blurred and the chest grew incredibly cold.

She trembled slightly as images started flashing by her. They started slowly. Tanaka and Saeko kissed. Yeu and Saeko kissed. An image of a double Saeko, one good and one bad. Kaname running happily through the garden, playing with Ryuko. Kaname inching her way into the storage room. All those memories passed through her vision, only a few seconds each, but imprinted on her mind. Ryuko grinning happily with Kaname. Ryuko's smile fading into something more sinister. Saeko running down the tunnels, looking scared. Saeko running down the tunnels looking frantic. It was a big jumble in her head. Was she perhaps reading the memories associated to this object? But that's impossible, Naru can do that. She'd have to study more on tones and such. She saw Ryuko standing in the storage room, a feminine shadow on the wall behind him. She saw the wooden board, and then she saw it crack. A bright yellow glow filled her vision before blackness swallowed her up.

Naru watched as Mai swayed in place for a second before her head slumped slightly. She quickly pulled herself back up, but determination sparked in her eyes.

"I solved it," Mai whispered. Naru and Monk turned to look at her curiously, but Mai paid them no attention. In one swift move she was bounding up the stairs.

"Mai, wait," Monk called after her. Mai hesitated and turned to look at him.

"I solved it, I figured it all out," she said, pride lacing her words. With that she left the storage room. Naru groaned before he started after her.

"Go get the others, and bring them down here," he instructed Monk before racing after Mai.

Mai raced down the halls for the second time in one day. As she ran, she noted that the halls were darker and colder than before. With a fierce determination to protect Naru from whatever was trying to kill him, she pressed on. She sprinted until she found the door she was looking for. With a deep breath, she shouldered the ajar door fully open.

Ryuko sat on his bed, an indifferent expression on his face. Mai frowned when she saw his dull eyes, he was definitely possessed. If that was the case, then it would be nearly impossible to get what she came for.

"Hello Mai, how are you?" Ryuko/ whoever was possessing him asked coyly. Mai shrugged, advancing slowly towards him.

"I'm alright, I suppose. How are you?" she responded. The spirit shot her a wary glance before turning back to whatever Ryuko was doing before he was possessed. Mai saw that he was drawing something, crouching over it slightly. Mai struggled to see what it was, but his lean form did a great job of hiding it.

"I suppose you've come for this," Ryuko/ the spirit said, turning and gesturing to a very familiar article resting on his desk. Mai frowned and nodded. How he had gotten it was a mystery, but from the scorch marks on his hands she supposed it put up a fight.

"You're correct. I'd like it back, please," Mai said confidently. The ghost chuckled and hopped lightly off the bed, moving to stand in front of Mai, blocking the path to the board. She knew what she needed to do, but she needed the relic to complete her task. The ghost smirked at her, and Mai glared at him. For second she really thought that Ryuko had simply gone bad, but that was not the case. She hoped. She'd have to distract him, get him talking.

"So, tell me, why did Kaname die instead of him?" she asked bluntly. The ghost cackled and lunged at her, but she dodged it. Ryuko regarded her curiously before he relented.

"I suppose I could tell you. This boy, he's rather clever. Once he figured it out, he offered his sister instead of himself. Normally I'd never let that happen, but then I thought... he could be of some use!" Mai frowned, feeling betrayed. So Ryuko had ulterior motives. Maybe he wasn't the good guy like anybody originally thought. Mai, who was slightly flabbergasted at the news, lapsed into silence.

This stand-off was going nowhere, and fast. She darted to the side, and as Ryuko clutched at her she slipped under his grasping arms and raced for the board. She easily grabbed it, and felt a faint throbbing in her hands. Before she could react her vision turned a hazy red as her automatic shield sprung up around her, protecting her from the board's powerful curse attached to it. Mai turned and saw a haze next to Ryuko. His eyes looked bright and alert, and she realized the spirit had left him.

"Do it," the wisp hissed, and Ryuko nodded. Mai took a startled step backwards.

"How did you grab that? You insolent child," Ryuko snarled, reaching for her again. She easily dodged him and was almost to the door when an icy hand reached through the shield and snagged her hair. With a startled cry she was yanked back and pressed against Ryuko's hard chest, a steely arm wrapped around her waist, holding her in place. His other hand rested in her hair, where he held a fist full of her hair. When she tried to move he yanked on her, pulling her back.

"Very well, I suppose I can't take you down in this body. You're awfully strong. I'll just have you come with me then… as if you have a choice," the ghost smirked into Mai's hair. Her eyes were as wide as saucers. This wasn't supposed to happen! The ghost started walking into the hall, releasing his hold on her waist, but his hand was still holding her hair. If she lagged or tried to move he gave her a vicious yank.

"My friends will see me," she hissed angrily as he tugged on her hair again. The ghost snorted and pushed her forwards again. Mai stumbled slightly, but recovered to avoid having her hair yanked on.

"Not a chance, I've lured them all down to the storage room. You see, you put up quite a fight, and I'm quite angry about that. You only made it harder on your little friend, you know." Mai paled slightly. They were going to hurt Naru, she just knew it.

"As if you'll be able to touch him," she retorted angrily as they started down the stairs. The ghost cackled, and Mai felt her blood run cold.

"Did you know the dumb idiot was running after you, all alone? It was rather easy knocking him out and tying him down. Right now your friends are down there, probably being beaten senseless by my partner as they try to get to him," the ghost informed her cruelly. Mai gasped and struggled, but ceased when he wrenched on her hair painfully. She pushed back tears in her eyes as her head throbbed. Naru was probably going to die, and it was her fault. She thought she had it, but she was wrong. Maybe he was right, maybe she was useless after all.

"You have a unique talent there," Ryuko said curiously all of a sudden. Mai scowled as they neared the storage room door, her prize still clutched tightly in her hands. Inside, all hell was breaking loose.

Masako sobbed as she saw Naru lying unconscious on the ground, a gash seeping blood on his forehead. Monk attempted to do a chant, but before he could start he was flung back and knocked unconscious. Ayako lay next to him, woozy from the knock on her head. John was holed up in a corner, trying to protect Masako while Lin sent his shiki darting around the room. Whatever ghost was here, they were strong and incredibly smart.

Each time his shiki passed through thin air where the ghost was supposed to be. Ayako quickly sat up, surveying the terrible scene in front of her. They had rushed down to the storage room after Monk called them back here, and had found Naru nearly dead on the ground. They had tried to get to him, but an invisible force always sent them flying backwards. As time progressed it only got more and more violent, and it didn't look like it would stop soon. Ayako shuddered as she tried to guess what the spirit was planning to do with Naru. Where was Mai?

She gently helped a now conscious Monk to his feet, groaning loudly. Just then her question was answered the door burst open and Ryuko dragged Mai in. Lin eyed their predicament and gasped. She cradled the board in her arms, a fierce look on her face. Ryuko held her by her hair, brutally yanking her around. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Ryuko had somehow gone evil and was holding Mai hostage for the spirit.

"Mai!" Ayako shouted, seeing her scared friend. Mai shot her a sad look before Ryuko forced her down another step. She stumbled and almost pitched the rest of the way down face-first if he didn't yank her back, by her hair of course. Mai hissed in pain, and Monk's eyes widened. As Mai's name rang in his head, Naru slowly opened his eyes. Bleary from his unfortunate encounter with the spirit, it took him a moment to see what was going on. When he saw his employees being beaten mercilessly by the spirit, anger flared up in him. Especially when his assistant, Lin, was sent flying backwards. He quickly recovered, but Naru could see the hardy man was growing tired. His eyes roamed the room, and when he saw Mai on the stairs with Ryuko holding her close, the anger multiplied.

He struggled to move, but felt himself unable to. He quickly realized he was being spiritually tied down, which meant the ghost was up to something. Ryuko chuckled darkly and pushed Mai down another step.

"Look, he's awake. Time to get started," he stated coldly. All eyes flashed to Naru, and he frowned at them. Why were they worried about him, when they should be protecting themselves? Masako let out a cry of horror when a ghostly hand shot out at her. John was quick to send it back with a fine spray of holy water. Mai was forced down another step, glaring angrily up at her captor. Ryuko seemed oblivious to her fierce emotions. They were halfway down the stairs when the silhouette of a little girl appeared next to Mai, gazing up at Ryuko.

"Go Mai, you know what to do," the ghost girl whispered. Before Ryuko could react the ghost reached out two pale hands and pushed him backwards. He was so startled he let go of Mai's hair, and she was quick to move. Before she could reach the floor, he got his wits about him again, and reached out. He easily snagged her ankle, and she went down like a ton of bricks. Monk was about to rush to her side when an invisible wall pushed him back. With a low growl he started an angry chant, forgetting about Mai's attachment to the house. Stars swam across her vision as a fierce ringing arose in her head. To her surprise, the red haze brightened slightly, and the ringing abruptly stop. So now she could shield herself against mental attacks as well, apparently. That knowledge would have been handy earlier on.

"Give me that," Ryuko demanded, jumping on top of her. He tried in vain to tuck his arms under her and snatch the board, which she held firmly against her stomach. She quickly rolled over, pinning him to the floor under her back. She jumped up, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back. They both watched with startled eyes as the board flew out of her hands and sailed across the room, crashing into the wall and landing on the floor. Everyone instinctively backed up. The powerful vibes coming off of that thing were enough to send even Lin running for cover.

With an enraged howl Ryuko rolled back on top of Mai, pinning her to the floor.

"That was mine! It was mine!" he shouted, wrapping his hands around her neck. Mai struggled for a second before she kneed him in the stomach, causing him to grunt and fall off of her. She jumped into action, dodging Lin's shiki as they raced past her, trying to find an opening in Naru's shield. She grabbed the board and was holding it tight to her when a startling wail echoed across the room.

Everyone, even Naru, turned to look above him. There, hovering over his prone form, was the same thing that chased them through the tunnels, howling loudly. Mai immediately recognized it as Saeko, and felt sad all of a sudden. This ghost was full of immense sorrow and anger, and the emotions were overwhelming for Mai.

"You idiot, bring me the board and the girl," the specter commanded in a hollow voice. Ryuko rose from the floor and walked over to a startled Mai, who was still clinging to the wood despite everything. He reached out, and cried out in pain as the board glowed slightly. When he tugged his hand back, a single scorch line ran across his hand. He growled and lunged at Mai again, but the board glowed and pushed him back.

Finally the repeated attempts were too much on him, and he fell to the floor unconscious. Mai snapped her gaze back up to the ghost, who was watching her with an amused expression.

"Fascinating, I've never seen someone so determined. Are you perhaps worried about this boy?" the ghost asked. Mai glared at her fiercely. With a dark chuckle, the ghost produced a knife.

"I suppose you know the drill, but because of your antics, I'm going to get right to the point here," she explained, fondly rotating the knife in her pale, bony hand. Mai took a step forwards, and the ghost quickly flashed down, the knife hovering centimeters from Naru's heart. Masako gasped and buried her face into the back of John's shoulder, unable to watch. Lin placed a steely gaze on his face while Monk and Ayako exchanged worried looks.

"Stop, I know what you want," Mai's voice rang through the now silent room. The ghost turned slightly.

"You want what's in here, don't you. You killed all those people in an attempt to crack the seal. You started going after more powerful people over time because it never worked, didn't you?" The ghost turned fully to Mai, staring at her with an unreadable expression.

"You played these sick mind games, as retaliation for all you suffered before you died, but inside you were sad and just wanted it to end." The ghost's face started to twist into an expression of rage.

"You tried to guess the password, to find the weak spot, but it never worked," Mai continued. The ghost let out an angry cry and raced at her. Mai gasped and darted sideways.

"Through all this time, you tried these fancy tricks. Your cunning schemes were quite impressive, I must admit," Mai added. The ghost growled and tried to get at her, but Mai barely managed to dodge it.

"Did it ever occur to you to just break the board?" With that the ghost stopped in her tracks. Everyone's eyes widened slightly, except Naru's. He looked indifferent, as if he was just waiting for Mai to guess the answer.

"You know, like this?" With that Mai easily snapped the board in half. The ghost gasped as a bright light emerged from the board, quickly engulfing the room. As the others struggled to see past the brightness, they saw the shape of a young man come forward and take the ghosts hands. Mai recognized it as Yeu, a radiant smile on his face. At seeing her long lost lover, the spirit purified herself, so happy to be back in his arms. Mai wore a gentle smile at their love struck expressions.

The glow brightened impossibly bright before it faded altogether. Monk watched her awkwardly before he laughed suddenly.

"Maybe there was an easier solution after all," he said between his chuckles. Mai smiled over at him as everyone swarmed over Naru, checking to see if he was alright. He was helped unsteadily to his feet, and then everyone turned scrutinizing eyes on Mai. She shifted under their gazes, glancing down at her side. To her surprise, a cleaner and happier Kaname stared up at her, a serene expression on her face.

"Thank you Mai, I'm so glad you helped. I'll tell your friend you say hi," she said cheerfully.

"My friend?" Mai asked, confused. Kaname nodded and motioned for her to bend down to her level. Mai reluctantly did so.

"You know, your friend. He looks a lot like that one." She pointed to Naru before cupping a hand around her mouth. "He really likes you," she said in a loud stage whisper. Mai's face paled slightly before it reddened considerably. Naru was regarding her with cool eyes while the others, even Lin, tried unsuccessfully to conceal their laughter. Masako looked slightly pleased that it was Gene that liked Mai, and not Naru.

"T-That's good to know," Mai stammered as Kaname planted a quick kiss on her cheek. Mai straightened up, looking everywhere but her friends. A faint breeze whistled past her and Kaname passed on. With a sharp cough, John stepped forwards.

"That was interesting. It looks like Yashito-kun is waking up," he said, gesturing to Ryuko, who was stirring groggily. Mai knelt down next to him quickly as everyone swarmed around him, trying to sneak a glimpse at him. Ryuko's bright hazel eyes opened slowly, peering up at Mai with a confused look. It was hard to miss her since she filled his vision.

"Mai, am I dead?" Mai gave him an annoyed look.

"Do I look dead to you?" Ryuko blushed and sat up, nearly colliding heads with Mai. He gazed around at everyone, and flinched when he saw Naru's thunderous expression. Mai was glad that everybody was alright, so she was totally oblivious to the thick tension in the room. Monk, however, was not, and nudged Yasu. The two exchanged secret looks, before a wide grin split their faces.

"I'm glad you're alright, Mai had to go through an awful lot of trouble to save you," Monk began sweetly.

"Yeah, she was really worried. She had to perform CPR on you," Yasu added. Ryuko's face paled slightly. He'd been making out with the girl he liked and he wasn't even conscious.

By now Mai was furious with the two boys. After all that had just happened, from Naru's near death and Mai's semi-heroic rescue efforts, they chose _now _to start teasing Ryuko? Mai huffed angrily, and the two tore their gaze off of the startled Ryuko to peer into Mai's deathly calm face. The sight of her sparking brown eyes was too much for the guys, and they started immediately apologizing.

"Did that really happen?" Ryuko asked softly, struggling to his feet.

"As if," Naru said sarcastically. Ryuko gave him an angry look before his face fell.

"I remember what happened," he admitted sadly. Mai gave him a sympathetic look before Naru whisked her up and out of the room, muttering things under his breath. As they walked down the halls Mai noticed the tense, angry feelings that had lingered before were gone. The spirits were cleansed. And all she had to do was break some measly board. Somehow her heroic efforts weren't all that great after all.

* * *

"Raise your hands if you did not see that one coming," Monk said, his hand shooting up into the air. Everyone's hands went up, even Lin's. Only Mai's and Naru's stayed down. Everyone all exchanged a look before lowering their hands.

"Let me get this straight, the entire time some little cute ghost girl was telling you what to do? You didn't actually start taking charge of things yourself?" Ayako asked, not meaning to sound rude but somehow she did. Mai huffed and tossed her hair.

"At least I tried." Everyone nodded at that statement.

"When I saw you come in with Ryuko, I'm not going to lie, I got really worried," Yasu admitted.

"Yeah, and when he pushed you down the stairs, phew I almost had a heart attack," Ayako piped up.

"That's because you're old." Ayako hit Monk over the head as hard as she could, while Naru watched on indifferently. Everyone was gathered in SPR's office, and was chatting after a stressful case. Lin had typed up the file last night when they returned, so for now they were free to hang out and talk. As much as Naru didn't want to admit it, he was glad to take a break and stand around, sipping Mai's tea. Nearly being murdered for real tends to drain you a little.

"Say Mai, how come the ghost chose you?" Masako asked politely, trying to hide her hurt expression behind her kimono sleeve. Mai shrugged, but Yasu had an answer.

"Probably because Mai is actually nice," he suggested unhelpfully. Masako's face reddened slightly, but it remained hidden under her sleeve.

"That's probably why Ryuko fell for little miss Mai," he added slyly. This time Mai's face reddened and she didn't even bother to hide it. Ever since they'd gotten back all Yasu and Monk could do was tease her about it.

"Would you shut up? That is so not cool," Mai retorted hotly. Yasu smirked at her flustered appearance. He knew she didn't return Ryuko's feelings, but playing around with Naru was strangely entertaining. A few times even Lin had joined in.

You know, if would have been much more fun you had gone along with the CPR story," Yasu replied. Mai clenched her fists.

"Correction, you would've had a lot of fun. I don't particularly like participating in blatant lies," she said. Naru suddenly chose to pipe up.

"You blatantly lied when you said you'd never go into the tunnels," he pointed out.

"T-That's different," she stammered. This time Naru was the one smirking at her flustered appearance.

"Yes, Mai is quite a seductress, but can we please get back to the story," Masako begged softly. She didn't like hearing about how Mai could get any guy she wanted wrapped around her finger while she struggled to get Naru to notice her.

"Ah, alright," Mai relented. She was just glad that Yasu was quiet.

"So, there were two twins, Saeko and Esra. Unfortunately, due to illnesses as a child, Esra was often locked away down in her room, otherwise known as the old storage room. It was believed the seclusion allowed her to heal fully, but it also drove her insane. One day she finally escaped, and met Yeu, and fell in love. He restored her life, and she restored his. At the same time, Saeko had met and fallen in love with a coal miner named Tanaka. Since Saeko and Esra were identical twins, all it took was some poor timing from Yeu and it all went down the drain. He thought Saeko was Esra, his beloved, and to see her in the arms of Tanaka must have driven him insane. There's nothing to say that he wasn't fully sane from the start, so one little push and…" Mai trailed off, leaving everyone to muse over her words.

"You know, I was kind of expecting some kind of grand exorcism. I feel bad now that all that trouble ended because Mai just snapped some oversized twig," Monk said sadly. Mai chuckled lightly at that, her gaze meeting with Naru's slightly amused one. She held his stare before she broke it off when Ayako started talking.

"We never did find out if Ryuko was actually bad, or if the spirit was toying with his already existent emotions," Ayako mused.

"I'm going out on a limb here to say that it was the second reason. He was probably under stress, and a little help from the spirit was all he needed," Lin suddenly said. Everyone stared at him, regarding that statement.

"Ne, Naru," Mai asked the sullen teenager. He tilted his head in her direction.

"During the case, you said I have a red tone, but you and Gene have a blue one. Is it possible he's not actually my spirit guide? That I somehow did all this myself?" Mai asked semi-hopefully. It would be incredibly awkward if she had put this image of Naru in her mind as a means of help, but it would also be kind of cool if she could do everything on her own. Before she hadn't been able to do much besides dream, but the possibility that she controlled the dreams the entire time was thrilling.

"I'm not sure. I talk to him and he says he's your spirit guide, so I assume so, but for your tone to differ from his can only mean one thing, and I'm not sure if you're ready to take that road yet," Naru said quietly. Mai pursed her lips and nodded. Hadn't he said that either Gene wasn't her spirit guide, or her power tapped into something else? If that was the case, then of course she wasn't ready to take that path. She was barely getting used to the crazy amount of power she had now!

"Eh, well, another case solved I guess," Monk said softly. Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Still, that was rather easy. All that fuss just to have _Mai _solve it. I'd have thought the spirits would put up more resistance," Masako added. Mai glared fiercely at the snippy medium, and Masako merely gave her an odd look back.

"I agree. I think the spirit spent more time covering her tracks than actually putting up a defense. If I recall she wasn't particularly strong, but she was incredibly smart," Naru wondered. Mai sighed and stretched out her arms, gazing happily at her friends. She was glad the case was over, and she couldn't wait for the next one.

"I guess as Naru always says, case closed!" Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Mai jumped up and opened it, and the others tried to see from behind the screen.

"Ah, Ryuko, what are you doing here?" Mai asked, startled. Everyone froze before the four troublemakers exchanged secret looks. Naru looked slightly ticked, which meant behind his mask he was probably stewing.

"I wanted to say thanks for helping us, and for letting my sister pass on. I'm sorry if you got a bad impression of me, I honestly don't remember much of what I was doing, just what I was seeing," he continued. By now everybody, even Lin and Masako, were slowly creeping up behind the screen. They could see Mai and Ryuko's shadows on the other side.

"Ah, it's okay. You were being taken advantage of. You must have felt resentment at being targeted, and anger and hurt at losing your sister. The spirit could easily use those emotions to her advantage," Mai consoled him. Ryuko grinned.

"Thanks for understanding. I, er, have to go now, but I wanted to give you this," he said shyly. Mai smiled up at him, and he nearly lost his reserve.

"I just wanted to say that I really, really li-" Naru couldn't take it anymore and stepped into view, smirking evilly. Mai turned to him with a startled expression while the others chuckled. Except for Masako, of course.

"HereyougoIgotyouflowers," Ryuko stammered. That's it, he could handle angry spirits, a judgmental father and annoying strangers, but when it came to vindictive bosses he couldn't take it! He slammed a bouquet of yellow flowers into Mai's arms and fled, never to return. Mai watched him go with a mystified expression on her face as the others finally let their laughter spew forth. Masako managed a dainty laugh. She had to admit, it was rather amusing watching the poor guy flee like that.

"Well, okay then. Bye?" Mai sighed and set the flowers in a nearby vase that had been empty for some time. She smiled slightly. The flowers did look pretty nice there.

"Like you were saying earlier, case closed," Naru said satisfactorily.

** Hello, I hope you enjoyed my book! I know the ending was a little strange, but I wanted to do it that way. I mean, wouldn't it be crazy if it got all built up only to have such a simple answer? I'll be going back over the story in a week to edit it and fix it up. For now, here are some Q&A's that I thought might need answering. Feel free to add any questions as you see fit, I'll do my best to answer.**

**1) Is Gene Mai's spirit guide or not? What's going on with her powers? A) Well, as I implied, they're still growing and expanding into something bigger, so nothing definite yet. I may feel the need to go back and add more during the final editing process, but I wanted to leave it to your imaginations. Do her powers grow stronger yet? Or do they sit there? What can she do to her full capabilities? I wasn't sure how to answer those fully so I'll let you guys tell me your ideas!**

**2) Why was the ending so easy? A) Like I said, I wanted to do something really different. Plus, wouldn't it be hilarious if Mai got all bad-ass all of a sudden, breaking a board and solving the case? **

**3) Will there be more stories? A) YES, I'm pretty sure I'll do more. Whether it's one-shots or even more books, I haven't decided yet, but I liked writing with the Ghost Hunt characters, since they are so well designed! I DON'T OWN ANY GHOST HUNT CHARACTERS, but it's still pretty fun expanding on them.**

**4) What happened with Ryuko? Why did you throw him in here and there but not develop anything? A) I wanted to see what Naru would do if the possibility that Mai might like someone else arose.**

**5) Your characters are pretty OOC-ish. A) I know, I just thought the story would look better if I did that. I'll try to keep them truer to their nature in the future.**

**6) Some stuff didn't make any sense. A) I'm not done it yet. If you have any questions, please let me know!**

**7) Your story sucked. A) Well thanks for your opinion. I don't mind negative criticism as it helps build my writing skills.**

**8) Do you love Ghost Hunt? A) Hell yes.**

**Thanks for reading my story everyone, and stay tuned for more! Possible stories I'll be writing are:**

**Kaze no Stigma**

**Full Metal Panic**

**Black Butler**

**More Ghost Hunt**

**Happy Reading everyone,**

**Chidori-san**


	10. NOTICE: GHOST HUNT FILE 2 IN THE WORKS

To all of you who read my Ghost Hunt story and liked it, thank you. It was my very first story on this website, and I'm really happy it did so well. For those of who are requesting a sequel or another story, I am here to say, I AM CURRENTLY WRITING ANOTHER STORY.

It is called: Ghost Hunt S2: File 2 - Death on Stage. It will feature all of our regular good old ghost hunters, as well as the Nanami family and various actors and actresses.

I won't release too much info on the story just yet, I want it to be a surprise, but I will give you a summary that I have written up to help me with the writing process. I hope it answers some of your questions, and if you have any suggestions for the story or any future works, I am all ears. I do take criticism, just as long as it isn't too rude. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy!

**_Death on Stage:_**

**_A ghost haunting the Miyabigaoka Theatre, run by Kazuko and Midori Nanami, is out for blood when she sees Yasu and mistakenly believes him to be her long lost lover who betrayed her decades ago when he had an affair with his co-star in the popular play, Suzume (Sparrow). _**

**_Mai ends up dragged into the whole mess when the ghost sees her with Yasu, and concludes that Mai is like Natsuki, the woman her lover had an affair with. Determined to keep history from repeating itself, she tries to get rid of Mai so she can confront her lover (Yasu) once and for all, much to Mai and her friends' displeasure._**

**_Meanwhile Mai, Yasu, John and Masako team up to catch Ayako and Monk, sure they are secretly dating, while Naru begins to show signs of affection for Mai. Masako realizes that maybe Naru isn't the right one for her, and Naru and Mai strike up a competition about woman's intuition, which Mai surprisingly wins._**

**_On opening night, all the drama and danger comes to a head, and it's up to Monk to keep all his friends safe. Can they help the ghost move on and keep the play running smoothly, or is it curtains for Mai and her mismatched team of ghost hunters?_**

So there you have it, the summary for the next story. I know I probably gave a lot more away than I intended, but that's the gist of what's happening. I'll release another chapter soon with a list of characters, and I hope to have the first and second chapter up this month, or next month.

Thanks to everyone who has read my stories and liked them, you inspired me to write more. It's highly possible that with your support, I will continue to write more Ghost Hunt stories, but for now thanks for giving me suggestions and helping me be a better writer. As always, I'll try my best to make sure the story makes it to your standards.

Happy reading,

Chidori-san.


End file.
